We Are Survivors
by michael.e.mcfee
Summary: AU: Sonny and Will meet at the hospital in Salem. They both have cancer. Sonny is further along in his treatment than Will . Sonny becomes a mentor for Will in more ways than one.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This chapter contains rather graphic medical procedure descriptions. Some people might find this hard to hard, so please be advised.**

* * *

Will Horton was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for his name to be called. He was alone. Okay, he wasn't exactly alone. There were a number of other patients waiting alongside him, but he didn't know any of them and he did not have anyone accompanying him. He hadn't wanted that. In fact, nobody he knew even knew that he was there.

He was taking a chance though, coming to a hospital that had been basically run by Hortons for, like, ever. But he had been in pain, serious abdominal pain for a while now. Sweating at night for no reason; fevers for no discernible reason. He'd lost weight and muscle mass, muscles that he had worked very hard to define. The clinic he had gone to while he was at Harvard University had sent his files back home, since the school year was over, and told him to see a specialist at Salem Memorial Hospital.

He had thought it was just stress. That he was fatigued because of the school workload. First year courses at Harvard, Pre-Med, weren't exactly a walk in the park. But it had persisted. Finally, His friends had told him that he would go to the University's Student Medical Clinic on his own accord, or they would drag him there themselves by his toes. He went. Alone.

And now he's here, sitting and waiting. Will had gone through a lot of testing before the doctors finally came up with a plausible explanation. He might have cancer. They wouldn't tell him more than that; they had biopsied his abdomen at the Student clinic; and now he was supposed to have a bone marrow biopsy. He was told on the phone that this procedure wasn't painful; which of course meant that it was.

He had brought his IPad, but was too nervous to use it. He spent some time thinking about what he was going to tell his family. He had a lot to tell. He had arrived back in Salem two days ago. He was staying at his Grandmother Marlena's apartment because there was no more room at his mother's house. Besides, he wasn't getting along with his mother, hardly ever had. His grandmother being a psychiatrist, he was relieved that he hadn't had to spend too much time with her, as yet anyway, because she would know something was up.

He decided to maybe do some people watching. He liked people watching. He had done a fair amount of it while at Harvard. He had finally admitted to himself that he was attracted to other guys, and what it meant. But he hadn't really acted on it. He went to the Student LGBT Centre, met a few people, made a few friends, but hadn't met anyone that he wanted to date, much less do anything else with. And he certainly hadn't told his family about himself. Another big thing to tell them, he supposed. Should he do it all at once?

Will glanced around the waiting room. Boy, there were a lot of sick people here. He started giggling to himself. And then he noticed a dark-eyed, rather pale, and thin, but still absolutely beautiful young man, about his age. It was hard to tell. The young man had a bandanna on his head, the colours of Pride. For someone going through cancer treatment he seemed to be rather confident.

Will noticed that the young man was looking at him, actually he was staring. And he wondered why, and then it hit him. Will didn't really look all that sick, not yet. It must be weird to see someone that looked relatively healthy, when you weren't.

Will was about to get up and walk over to the young man when a nurse came up to him and told him that the doctor would see him now. Oh well, he hoped he would see Bandanna Boy around, but that seemed doubtful. Will rose to follow the nurse.

* * *

Sonny Kiriakis was not feeling very well. He hadn't been feeling all that well for a while now. He had come back to Salem in September of last year, Labor Day actually, came out to his Uncle Vic, met a few close friends through his cousin Abigail, including Chad DeMira, with whom he eventually partnered with and opened up a coffee-house named Common Grounds. Thank goodness the business was going well without him, because he hadn't been able to manage it for the last month now, although he still kept close tabs.

Around about November, after a short bout of the flu, he noticed that he was developing a bump on his neck. He ignored it thinking it would go away. And when it didn't, he started to wear turtleneck jerseys. Eventually he started losing weight and started tiring easily. No one noticed much of anything not even his boyfriend Ethan, sorry…ex-boyfriend, who didn't really seem to notice anything above the belt-line anyway.

Sonny thought that Ethan was a good guy. He wasn't. Sonny found out Ethan was cheating on him, and Sonny got understandably upset. So upset, he became violently ill. So ill, Chad, of all people, had to help him off the floor. And that is when Chad noticed the bump and practically threw him in the car and drove him to the hospital.

He went through all the tests and got the results: cancer, a lymphoma to be more specific. They started his treatment right away; apparently Sonny had waited so long that the tumor was blocking his right-side carotid artery; so much so that Sonny had been in serious danger of a stroke or heart attack.

The treatment, Chop-R, consisted of an intravenous drip, every three weeks of a mix of four powerful drugs and a daily pill taken for five days, every three weeks, of another drug. And then there were the drugs to counteract the effects of those drugs and some more, to counter the effects of counter-effect drugs.

The effects on Sonny's body were maddening: constipation, constant pain and tiredness, muscle stiffness, severe lack of energy, susceptibility to common bacterial infections and viruses. Then there was his mother.

He told his parents right away. And his mother kind of took over his life. She made him move back into the Kiriakis Mansion. She was constantly by his side, checking his temperature, screening any visitors, to make sure that Sonny didn't catch anything, or become upset. She was getting annoying, and yet he wouldn't want to have to do this on his own.

He was here with his mother, Adrienne Kiriakis, for his check-up before his third treatment was to start, in a few days; third of a possible eight treatment: fun, NOT. His mother was like a shadow, hovering over him, so he liked to send her on errands. This one was to get him some apple juice and Jello. Sonny was having trouble keeping things down. He was also having trouble digesting what he could keep down. He wasn't allowed to eat nuts for instance. So his mom got him some juice and Jello.

He loved his mom but she could be a pain. She wouldn't let anyone near him. And right now he could use some company; like that absolutely gorgeous blond hottie sitting across and to the right of him. He looked stunning; and Sonny couldn't help but stare. He looked too healthy to be going through any treatment, so he was either coming for an after-treatment follow-up or he hadn't started his treatment yet; most likely the latter, since Hottie seemed really nervous, like he hadn't gone through this before. Sonny also noticed that he seemed to be alone. That was a shame. He would need somebody, especially if he hadn't been given the bad news yet.

All of a sudden, Sonny noticed that Hottie's focus changed. He seemed calmer, and he started to look around; he started to look at Sonny. Sonny couldn't help himself, he continued to stare. Hottie seemed what…Interested? **_"Impossible", _**Sonny thought, **_"I look like death warmed over"_**

And then it looked like Hottie was getting up, to come and talk to him, maybe? Yes! But of course a nurse showed up and he' had to go. Sonny really hoped he could find a way to introduce himself to this hottie. It really looked like Hottie could use a friend.

* * *

The nurse led Will to a room with a hospital gurney in the middle of it. She asked him to sit down on the gurney. She took his temperature; she took his blood pressure. She asked Will to step on the scale and took his weight. She then handed him a hospital gown; asked him to put it on, told him the doctor would be there shortly, and then left.

Will undressed and then put on the hospital gown; it took him three tries to finally get it right. He sat back on the gurney and waited. And waited. And waited. He got his IPad out and tried to read an e-book. Then he tried playing a few games. Nothing was calming him down. He then thought of Bandanna Boy and he calmed down, enough anyway. He wondered what Bandanna Boy's story was; if he was okay; if Will would ever see him again. He wondered why he was so stuck on that guy; nerves, obviously.

The doctor, Dr. Roger Higgins, came in, introduced himself, verified who his patient was, and then got right down to business. The doctor wanted to know what Will had been told. Will explained that the doctors indicated that he had a strong possibility of cancer. He was interrupted by Dr. Higgins straight away:

**"No Will, It is cancer…I'm surprised the doctors at Harvard didn't tell you that straight off, since you ARE pre-med, right?" **

Will nodded and Dr. Higgins continued:

**"The test today is to determine what kind of cancer you have. That will determine the best course of treatment. We will be giving you a prescription for Prednisone right away, along with some other drugs to counter some side-effects. You are to take them starting today. "**

The doctor also confirmed that Will did not have an HIV infection, so that was good. He then walked Will through the procedure. Dr. Higgins would be making an incision at his hip, then insert a rather long needle that has a tiny sharp blade, to take a few very tiny pieces of marrow in order to study them. Will would be sedated but still conscious. He was to try to remain calm. The doctor stated that it will be difficult to do, but to try. After the procedure, he would need to go to the hospital lab and get a series of blood work done. These results would act as base-marks when he started treatment which wouldcommence in three days, so Thursday.

Before Dr. Higgins and a nurse, started the procedure, he asked Will if anyone was here to help him get home and to bring him to the lab, because he was going to be rather groggy. Will said that he was alone. Dr. Higgins asked if he should call Dr. Evans, Will's grandmother. Will said no, he'd get manage on his own.

Dr. Higgins looked at Will rather sternly: **"I understand Will, but you need to tell your family. You can't go through this alone; someone needs to bring you to your appointments and take you back home. You can't drive. You won't be able to drive today…"**

Will told the doctor that he would manage today. He just hadn't had the time to tell his family yet. He would.

After being given a sedative, Will laid down on his side , on the gurney, he felt a sting from a needle, the anesthetic . He felt pressure. The doctor had told him to keep calm, keep still and to breathe, but not too heavily. Will then felt more pressure. It was as if someone was reaching down and trying to scoop something from inside him; which was essentially what was happening. It didn't hurt, per say; it just felt extremely uncomfortable. Will continued to breathe. He thought of Bandanna Boy and calmed right down. He would be okay; at least for now.

* * *

Sonny had gone to his appointment. His doctor had felt his lymph nodes and they all seemed to be shrinking. That was good news. His eyesight was good. He didn't have any infections. His last blood work was fine. His doctor told Sonny that he would need to undergo another Catscan, which would be scheduled later. He would need to go and get more blood work done for his next treatment, which was next Thursday.

That was where he now was. Sitting , again; waiting in line to get poked by more needles. Fun. His mother was sitting beside him. She had draped a blanket on him, covering his legs. He was grateful for that. He had been getting a little chilled.

Sonny then noticed a rather handsome male nurse wheeling in an even more handsome patient, still in his hospital gown. It was Hottie and he looked rather groggy. And Sonny then understood. He had just undergone a procedure, probably a bone marrow biopsy, from the way Hottie was holding his side, and they were waiting for the anesthetic to wear off a little before sending him home. In the meantime the nurses sent him here for blood work.

Sonny stood up, and disregarding the rather loud protests from his mother, he walked over and talked to the nurse. The nurse hadn't wanted to leave Hottie all by himself, but it looked like Mr. Nurse had a lot of other things to do. So, Sonny told the nurse that if all that was needed was for someone to recognize this young man's name when it was called and possibly wheel him in the lab's direction, he would be glad to do it.

Sonny smirked when he heard Hottie let out a drug-drowsy annoyance-filled scoff and then Sonny heard Hottie speak: **"I'm not asleep you know. I know my own name. I can take care of myself."**

Sonny scrunched his body down, in order to be eye-level with Hottie and said:

**"That's good to know. Just in case you fall asleep though, maybe you should tell me your name, so that Mr. Nurse here will feel good about leaving you. I'll do the same. My name is Sonny. Sonny Kiriakis…"**

Will, although annoyed, finally focused enough to recognize Bandanna Boy . He smiled and said: **"Will. My name is Will. Will Horton."**

Sonny smiled and put a hand on Will's knee: **"Well, nice to meet you Will Horton…"**

Will also smiled as he felt the intimate pressure of Sonny's hand on his knee. All he could say was: **"Likewise"**


	2. Chapter 2

Before the male nurse left Will in Sonny's care, he wheeled his charge towards where Sonny had been sitting, nodded to Sonny and left. He did go to the lab and identified Will as the hot blond in the wheelchair, just in case…but he did it discreetly without Sonny knowing; he didn't want to take away Sonny's sense of responsibility, but he also didn't want to take any chances that Will Horton would be lost in the shuffle, so to speak; and unfortunately, since he would have liked to stick around, he had loads to do.

Adrienne was a little confused. Confused because the good-looking young blond looked slightly familiar; also she was wondering what Sonny was doing being so close to someone who might make Sonny sick, by spreading germs. She knew that she could be a little overprotective at times. And in this she had every right to be protective. She decided that she wouldn't say anything for now; she would wait till they got home.

Sonny sat down, now in between Will and his mother, and introduced Will to Adrienne:

**"Mom, this is Will, I think he just had his first bone marrow biopsy…"**

Sonny's unspoken words to his mother were for her to go easy on the guy because he was going through enough already. Adrienne understood this from the stern look Sonny had given her. It was very clear, even though Sonny no longer had any eyebrows to deepen the expression.

Adrienne tried to engage Will in conversation by initiating a little small talk. She asked him if he was from Salem originally. She asked him where he was going to school. And in a last-ditch effort to get an answer, she asked him how he was feeling. The last question simply got her a look which said that he had definitely had better days. All the other questions simply got grunts or a silence with a far-away look.

Sonny looked at his mother and smiled. He knew she was trying. He suspected that Will wasn't answering her because he was either still foggy from the anesthetic, or he was in pain, and possibly both. Another possibility was that he was simply tired. Based on what Sonny remembered of Will from staring at him just a relatively short time ago, Sonny knew that Will would have answered, at the very least in a polite tone, if he were in any shape to do so. And he obviously wasn't.

So Sonny took it upon himself to continue the conversation: **"So Will, I have a feeling that you just experienced your first bone marrow biopsy…Am I right?"**

Sonny saw that Will grimaced and then nodded. Sonny then went on to say that he understood why Will wasn't talking much; biopsies can take a lot out of you especially those that have to delve deeply, like the bone marrow kind; doesn't exactly hurt, but really very uncomfortable. Again Sonny saw that Will nodded.

Sonny began to explain that he himself suffered from a somewhat aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and that he was undergoing chemo, Chop-R to be exact; and that his next session was on Thursday. This elicited a positive reaction from Will, in the form of a smile, and a grab and a squeeze of Sonny's hand which had mysteriously regained its place on Will's knee for some reason.

Adrienne saw how easily her son was talking to this rather good looking young man. She wasn't sure she approved of him flirting with anyone, because he was clearly flirting, although not too energetically, and also rather subtly, but there was obviously an attraction there; at least on Sonny's part. She wasn't too sure how Will perceived all this. Adrienne wanted her son to be happy. She just didn't think he should be wasting his energy. She wanted him to get better.

Sonny was about to expound on what Will could expect from his body's reaction to chemo, but his name was called to have his blood word done at the lab. He turned to his mom and said: **"Will might get called before I get back, so please take care of Will for me. Okay Mom?"** Adrienne simply nodded.

* * *

Will, for his part, was sorry to see this Sonny person go. Sonny seemed really nice, and caring, and Will was glad to experience some of that; he wasn't sure how much more he was going to get when he got home and started to tell his family some of his truths. He was still debating what he should tell them.

He knew he should tell them everything; that he was gay and that he had cancer. But what if they rejected him for being gay? What was he going to do? How would he cope? But he also knew that it wouldn't be fair not to tell them. His family had a right to know who he was, and if he were going to be rejected because he was gay he'd rather know now than later.

He wished he had someone to confide in before he needed to tell his family, especially his parents, about himself. He had a feeling that if he got to know Sonny, that Sonny could be that someone. He needed a friend right now. But with Sonny it could get…complicated. He would tell his grandmother Marlena. She had always been someone he could confide in, well mostly.

* * *

Blood work doesn't usually take that long, especially when you have professional technicians who do this every day. It can get complicated when dealing with patients, like Sonny, who have to give blood frequently; veins have a tendency to shrink. But it wasn't long before Sonny was out of the lab offices and back to where his mother was sitting.

Adrienne rose to leave, but Sonny just gave her a look and sat down next to Will. He was looking much better, well at least less groggy. In fact when Sonny came up to him he said: **"Hey…Sonny...It is Sonny, right?"**

Sonny smiled and asked if Will had a phone. Will nodded and said that it was in his bag that was attached somewhere to the wheelchair. Sonny found it; he also found a card that indicated Will's chemo appointment was Thursday at 10:00; same as his. Good..

Sonny put his info in Will's phone and told him to call him. As soon as that was done Will's name was announced. Sonny indicated Will by pointing at him and a nurse came and got him and wheeled him away.

Sonny looked at his mother who did not seem happy at all. He asked her what was wrong and she replied:

**"That is Willian Horton…I knew I recognized him, although it's been a while. That's Sami Brady's son. I don't want you to have anything to do with him. That family is bad news."**

Sonny looked at his mother, disappointment in his eyes:

**"Mom…Will isn't Sami Brady. He's Will. And something tells me that he is going to be needing support. He was here all alone. I couldn't do this alone…"**

Sonny looked at his mother with love and tenderness as he handed her his arm. He was feeling tired now and he needed the support.

Adrienne looked at her son and knew he was right, but she still had misgivings. She decided however, to take this up with her son later. She simply took his arm and said: **"Come on Sonny, let me take you home."**

* * *

When Will's blood work was done a nurse came to get him. She took him back to the cancer clinic and Will was allowed to put his clothes back on. He was given prescriptions and some pamphlets and was again asked if he had anyone to take him home. He said that his grandmother didn't live far and that he would take a taxi home. Before he did that, he went to the hospital pharmacy to get all the drugs he was going to need, at least so far. Will, thankfully, was on a Student medical plan and on his grandmother's insurance plan.

When Will arrived at his grandmother's apartment, he had a big surprise waiting for him. Okay, the surprise itself wasn't that big. She was actually quite thin and demure, rather tall.

Will's Grandma Marlena was waiting for him; sitting on her couch, legs crossed; waiting patiently for her grandson to get home. She was rather angry at her grandson at the moment, actually she knew that it was mostly fear manifesting as anger. She breathed deeply, calming herself. She would allow her grandson to explain himself. If Will were a patient it would be at his own pace, and she would try to allow him that, but it would be very hard to do.

Will walled through the door and saw his Grandma Marlena sitting on the couch. She simply gestured for him to sit near her. Oh Oh. Will knew his grandmother enough that he could guess that she had information that he probably didn't want her to have. He could be evasive, but that wouldn't be fair to her or to him. And so, he simply sat down and before his grandmother could say anything Will began to speak:

**"Okay Grandma…somebody from the hospital saw me and called you. You probably called the hospital and were told that I specifically gave instructions that no one was allowed to know why I went to the hospital today…no matter who they were…unless I gave specific permission…"**

Will could see that his Grandmother was remaining calm; that was good. He also knew that he owed her the truth, the whole truth. He felt that if he led with the cancer thing first ,his other revelation would be lost or disregarded and so he led with that one first: **"Grandma, I'm gay."**

Marlena, was taken aback. She certainly wasn't expecting Will to come out with that little revelation. She had suspected her grandson to be gay for some time now. His last Facebook post had a picture, and in the background was the University LGBT Centre. Will had sent an e-mail a few months ago stating that he had something he wanted to tell her in person, when he got back; but then the correspondence suddenly stopped.

Marlena started to laugh:** "Sweetheart. I know. I've known for some time but what does that have to do with you being in the hospital…Oh God…"**

Will could see his grandmother thinking and then it occurred to him that it might occur to her that hospital and gay might mean only one thing:** "Grandma I'm HIV negative. It isn't that. I have cancer, a lymphoma of some kind. It has nothing to do with my being gay. I went to the hospital today to undergo a bone marrow biopsy procedure…"**

Will was cut off in mid-explanation by Marlena lunging forward to give her grandson a huge hug. Will could feel Marlena's tears, even though he couldn't see them. His eyes became misty as well. He let himself feel his own emotions, just a little. But he couldn't let them free, not quite yet. Will heard his grandmother speak through her tears**: "Oh sweetie, why did you even think you could do this alone?!"**

Will straightened and got loose from his grandmother's grip so he could look at her in the eyes:

**"Denial, well false hope really…" **Will took a breath to calm himself and then continued: **"I was hoping that maybe the doctors at School made a mistake, as if they would have…"**

He told his grandmother that he didn't want his family have to deal with his cancer without them knowing exactly who he was first:

**"I've tried telling you, and mom and dad, so many times in the past nine months, but I couldn't. "**

Marlena listened as her grandson basically said that letting his family help him, with them not knowing the truth about him, would be like committing fraud:

**"I wanted to have all the cards on the table. I just didn't know how to do it. I'm so sorry Grandma."**

Marlena looked at her grandson who seemed genuinely sorry. She knew that he had nothing to be sorry for and she expressed that to him:

**"Honey, you have nothing for which to be sorry…Nothing…Certainly not for being gay. I love you Will, just the way you are. You are going to allow me to help you through your cancer. I'm not going to take a no for an answer on that topic…"**

Will could only let the tears flow and say: **"I'm scared Grandma…" **He heard his grandmother say, before the sobs took a hold of him:** "We'll get through this…" **

* * *

Sonny was lying in bed listening to music on his IPhone, and resting, when he received a call. It wasn't a number he recognized and he normally would just let the call go, but he had given out his number recently and so he answered it. Sure enough it was Will:

**"Hello Sonny, this is Will Horton. Not sure if you remember me. But you gave me your number. I just thought I'd call to thank you for today."**

Sonny was glad to hear from Will. He had hoped, but wasn't expecting that Will would call him, especially not this soon. He accepted Will's thanks but expressed to Will that he really didn't know why he needed to be thanked:** "All I did was stay with you until you were called for your blood work."**

Sonny could hear Will sigh and the say**: "Sonny you did much more than that. You helped me find the courage to come out to my family today…"**

Sonny wasn't sure what he did that would have enabled Will to have the courage to tell his family that he had cancer and he started to express that. Will interrupted him:** "Sonny. I told my grandmother I was gay. She's the first one in my family to know. Then I told her I had cancer."**

Sonny gulped in a breath:** "She thought you were HIV positive didn't she… my mother did the same thing…although she's known I was gay for years now. Wait…are you? HIV positive I mean…not that that matters to me"**

Will laughed, more out of surprise than anything else**: "No Sonny. I'm not. And you did help me. I saw you with your mom. How she was there for you even though you were gay…You are gay right? You had a Rainbow Flag bandanna on your head…if you aren't…sorry…"**

This time it was Sonny's turn to laugh: **"Yes Will I'm gay…"** Sonny thought that the whole hand-on-thigh thing should have given Will a big clue. Will must really have been out of it.

Sonny then asked Will if he had any questions and Will said that he did. Questions were asked and answered. They talked for a long while; until they both were too tired to talk any longer, especially Sonny. They said their goodbyes and that they would talk again soon and Sonny finished the conversation by saying:** "Bye Will. See you on Thursday."**


	3. Chapter 3

**"Okay Will. I have to go. I think I can hear my Mom coming into the solarium. Just remember what I said. I know you'll do fine. Okay. Bye."**

Sonny ended his call with Will, and got ready for the inquisition that he knew was coming. Sonny was supposed to be resting and he was sure that his mother had heard him on the phone. He really hoped Will kept up his courage and things went well for him but right now he had his own problems, namely, a nosy mother.

Adrienne, for her part, was seriously annoyed at her son at the moment. It was the beginning of May, so it wasn't as if it was snowing or anything, but it could still be cold.

Sonny was in the sun which was another thing that annoyed Adrienne. At least one of the drugs in the combo made Sonny photosensitive, and that meant Sonny could burn easily.

And then there was the phone call. Adrienne knew perfectly well to whom her son was talking. She did not approve. She had tried to talk sense to Sonny; she tried to make him see that even a friendship with Sami Brady's son was a bad idea.

Sonny's chemo treatment was tomorrow and Adrienne was bound and determined to be the one to accompany her son. It was her husband Justin's turn, but she wanted to be able to run interference. And if Sami was there, Adrienne wanted to keep her far away from Sonny; because with Sami, anything could happen.

Sonny knew that his mother wanted to be the one to take him to the hospital tomorrow and he knew why. She didn't want her son to associate with Sami Brady's son. Well that was too bad. Will needed someone in his corner. Sonny knew, from Will, that Will had Dr. Evans in his corner but Sonny knew that the more people in your corner the better off you'd be, and he wanted to be there for Will.

Sonny remembered the little talk he had with his mother, or perhaps a better word for it would be his mother's soliloquy because Sonny barely had a chance to say anything. It went something like this: Sami Brady and Lucas Horton were complete disasters. They juggled poor Will Horton around from one situation to another, basically using the kid as a pawn in their war against each other. Will had been involved in so much drama it was a wonder that he was still alive.

Sonny recalled that his mother went on and on about how Will was damaged goods and when Sonny pointed out that Will couldn't be all that bad since he worked hard enough, and was smart enough, to be attending Harvard, on scholarship, Adrienne indicated that it was probably a sign of how ruthless he was, just like his parents.

Sonny had given his mother the excuse that he was tired, that he needed to rest and that ended the conversation, but not before Adrienne practically forbade Sonny from associating himself with Will.

Sonny decided it was wise to stop his mother from producing another soliloquy. He stood up from the chaise-longue on which he was sitting and walked past his mother saying: **"Mom, I know you heard me talking again to Will, and I know what you think of him. I happen to think differently. Will needs a friend. I intend to be that friend. Now I'm going upstairs to lie down. I've had enough…sun…for now."**

Adrienne had different ideas. She had seen how Sonny had acted around Will Horton. The whole hand-on-knee thing, for her, was a dead giveaway; and she didn't think that starting a relationship with anybody, but especially with Will Horton, was a good idea. She decided to say as much to Sonny:

**"Honey, I know you think I'm being hard on you. But I can tell Sonny. I am your mother. You like Will. And not just as a friend. You should stay away from Will; not just because I think he isn't good enough for you. He isn't by the way. But because you need to concentrate on yourself right now, instead of expending energy on someone else."**

Sonny did not like what he was hearing. He could certainly believe that his mother would say something like that, but he certainly didn't have to like it, Especially since she was totally wrong:

**"Mom, you are wrong about Will. You don't know him. I don't really know him either, but I want to get to know him. He is a great person. We just met, mom. It's not like we are getting married. Will is in need of support and friendship right now. I want to give him that. It makes me feel good. It gives me energy; it gives me a reason to fight my own battles. Can't that be reason enough for you to stop bugging me about this?"**

Sonny left his mother knowing that her mouth had popped open in surprise. He had given her something to think about. She may never come around to liking Will, but at least this might mean she would leave him alone…both of them alone...at least for a while.

* * *

Will ended his call with Sonny. And headed to the living room where his grandmother, and probably a bunch of others, were waiting for him. He felt like crap. He felt agitated and squirmy all over. He felt achy especially in the hips. He was short tempered one minute and way too happy the next. He'd be in a conversation with his grandmother and forget what he was talking about. And all this was from taking prednisone for only two days.

He enjoyed talking to Sonny. Somehow, with all that was happening to him, Sonny was able to get him to focus and get him to calm down. He wished Sonny could be with him when he talked to his family, but he knew why Sonny couldn't; too many people with too many germs. Even though Sonny had offered to be there for him, Will declined the offer and simply said that he would call him back or see him the next day. He did have his Grandma Marlena, and he knew that he could count on her support. He was still dreading this though.

Part of the conversation that Will had with Sonny was that Will still was not sure if he made the right choice. Marlena had asked him how he would like to handle telling his family about his cancer. Will told Sonny that his grandmother was of the opinion that anything else that Will wanted to tell his family could wait, but the cancer thing shouldn't. Sonny was of the same opinion as the illustrious Dr. Evans. And Sonny had not changed his opinion during their latest conversation. Will finally decided that he would decide what to tell his family when the time came, which was very very soon.

Another decision Will had to make was who to tell and when. Marlena had told Will that he should do what was most comfortable for him, taking into consideration who he would be telling and what he perceived as the likely reaction.

During several conversations with Sonny, Will came to the conclusion that no matter how he told his mother, she was bound to react badly, most likely rather selfishly, because that is what she does. Therefore, telling the whole family at once would take less energy, and be less stressful, in the long run.

Marlena then took over and arranged a family meeting. No kids would be present, at least no one under fifteen. Marlena told Sami and Jennifer and Eric, Hope, Kate, Roman and Caroline to gather everyone they thought would like to hear an announced, from Will. They would meet in Marlena's apartment. There were a few people, such as Will's father Lucas who would need to told later.

When he caught sight of his Grandmother, she was sitting patiently on the couch. He thanked her for waiting for him while he talked to Sonny and then he said:** "I'm ready Grandma…Let's get this show on the road."**

Marlena stood up and got everyone's attention. Everyone Marlena called was there. They all seemed intrigued by Marlena's summons. Sami Brady was pacing. She had not liked the way she had been summoned by her mother. Her opinion was that if Will had something to tell her, then he should come to her. She certainly didn't understand why Will would need to have this kind of a family meeting. She had to postpone meetings to be here. This had better be good.

Will saw his mother pacing and everyone staring at him and he almost bolted. He then remembered something Sonny said:

**"Will, they are your family. They love you. If things go as badly with your mother as you think, then you still have Dr. Evans. And you'll still have me."**

With that memory filling his head, Will took a deep breath and began:

**"I'd like to thank everyone for coming. As my Grandma Marlena might have told you, I have some news. Two pieces of news actually…"**

He was interrupted by his mother who shouted:** "Oh for God's sake Will! Just say that you flunked out of College…or you lost your scholarship or both…But get on with this! I have meetings I need to go to!"**

Before Will could react, Marlena stood up, walked to Will and put an arm around him. She had noticed that Will was starting to fidget and shake, probably as a result of his medication and the stress of the situation. With his grandmother's protective arms around him Will found the courage to continue:

**"Mom? Why do you always think the worst of me? The last time I had news…you thought I'd flunked out of High School. When I actually got admittance to Harvard...But you are right Mom, this time it is different. I have two pieces of news…one is bad news and one is okay news…I'll let you all decide which is which…"**

Will was interrupted yet again, this time by Marlena who simply asked those present to not react until Will had finished saying both pieces of news…Will turned his head towards his grandmother and smiled, and then concentrated on the group as he said:

**"I'm gay…that's one thing…" **Will looked across to his mother and he scanned the faces of everyone else. No one reacted. Will wasn't sure what to think of that. He continued:

**"I also found out officially, yesterday, that I have a type of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I've already started a chemo regimen. I'm going for a treatment tomorrow. So my return to Harvard might be a little delayed. And before anyone asks, the cancer isn't related to my being gay. I've been tested. I have no STIs including HIV"**

Will looked around the room to see people's reaction. He could feel his Grandma Marlena's arm tighten around him. This made him feel better; although there was a very quick and funny thought that crossed his mind: He wished that arm was Sonny's.

Sami Brady reacted first. She scoffed. Will could see his mother's anger flaring. She always got this exacerbated look on her face before her emotions blew sky high:

**"Will, why do you say these things? First, you can't be gay. I would know these things! I'm your mother and I didn't have a clue! And then to top it all off…you lie about dying! So you can get sympathy! I'm leaving! I don't have to listen to this!"**

Will knew that his mother was most likely not going to take what he had to say very well. He expected her to yell, at the world and at him. He didn't expect her to run out of the apartment yelling and crying. But that is exactly what she did.

The rest of the group was stunned more by Sami's reaction than anything else; but the room became rather unbearably silent until Will's Grandma Caroline stood up and walked to Will, opened up her arms and gave Will a big hug:

**"Will, I love you. Gay or straight, you are my great-grandson and I know you to be kind, and generous, intelligent and sometimes far too selfless for your own good. Those are the things that matter…you being gay is just a newer part of you that we get to know…your…your cancer on the other hand…"**

Will squeezed his Grandma Caroline tightly, letting her cry on his shoulder:** "Grandma Caroline, I'm so sorry…I know you were counting on me to work at the Pub this summer…"**

Caroline looked up at her great-grandson: "**To hell with that Will. You will not feel bad about being sick or getting well. The Pub will manage. The important thing is that you get better. And you better get better young man or you'll have to answer to me."**

Caroline was followed close behind by his Uncle Eric, in his priest uniform. Will still hadn't gotten used to that. Eric iterated what Grandma Caroline said. He told Will that God loved him, no matter who Will fell in love with, and that he would pray for him. Eric also stated that he would be coming around more often, even if it were just to talk.

Will's Grandma Kate also came up to him and hugged him:** "I notice that you are getting tired Will…So I'll just say this. I knew you weregay…probably before you did. I'm so glad that you figured yourself out and that you are being true to yourself. As for the cancer, we will all help you fight this. I will be calling you…You can tell me about any boys you have your eye on…"**

The others were a bit more stand-offish, including Will's Grandpa Roman, but everyone wished him well and would help in any way they could. All Will wanted right now was to sleep and maybe talk again to Sonny.

* * *

Will was lying down. He was feeling nauseous. He felt tired and also unable to stay in one place, all at the same time. Sonny told him to expect this. He also said that Will would probably not be able to sleep for much and so Facebook, Twitter and online games would be very good tools to help him stay sane.

Will knew that another way for him to stay sane, to help him not crack open, was to talk. He had his Grandma Marlena, and he appreciated her so much. But he had an overwhelming urge to talk to Sonny, and so he did.

Sonny answered his phone and he could tell right away that Will wasn't exactly okay. He simply had to say:** "Will?" **and Will began to flood him with information: about his mom; about his Grandpa Roman. About his aches and pains:

**"And I really haven't even gotten started on the real chemo stuff…how am I going to get through this? How are you getting through it?"**

Sonny, as he too was lying in bed, feeling seriously uncomfortable, smiled:

**"Will, I'm getting through it by being surrounded by love. Also, talking things out with you, helping you, really helps me…so thank you for opening up to me…I won't tell you everything will be just fine…I will tell you that I will help you fight like hell…"**

Will smiled:** "And Sonny…I'll help you…You mean more to me than I can say…"**


	4. Chapter 4

Will had a little trouble sleeping, but he mostly slept through the night; with a little break at about 3 a.m. that lasted about an hour. Will felt like he was crawling out of his skin. He wanted to read, but couldn't concentrate, his eyes couldn't seem to focus. He ended up on the internet watching funny cat videos on YouTube.

Sonny had warned him that Prednisone could do strange things to one's sleep patterns and to one's emotional state. It also affected how a person could deal with stress. And Will was feeling rather stressed. He was anxious about the cancer and even about the treatment. He certainly wasn't looking forward to losing his hair. But it was more than that.

Will received a phone call from his father at 11:00 P.M., just before going to bed. His father was not happy with him at all. Although Will had called his father and had left a message, apparently his mother had done the same, and Lucas had returned Sami's call first.

Sami had shouted at Lucas that he was to blame for Will being gay. He should have come back to Salem long before this. If he had, then Will would have had a stable male influence in his life and he wouldn't be gay. She even blamed him for Will's cancer, although Lucas wasn't too sure what the logic was for that one.

Lucas was angry at Will, not for the fact that Will was gay. Not even for the fact that Sami called and yelled at him, although Will suspected, based on experience that it was partly the reason;. Lucas was angry at Will because Will had come out. Lucas felt that Will should have kept it to himself. This upset Wil:

**"Really Dad? And what about my cancer…should I have kept that to myself too? Should I have just dug a hole and buried myself? Or walked off into the forest to die? Is that what I should have done?! Bye dad!"**

Will felt really guilty that he had hung up on his father. He knew that his father had not been ready for the news. He was really very angry at his mother for not allowing him to call his own dad to give him HIS news. He wasn't sure if he could forgive his Mom for that. He would just add this to the list of things he couldn't forgive his mother for. Although, that list was rather short. Will had forgiven his mother for a lot. Will couldn't understand why he did that sometimes. Maybe his mother was right and he was just stupid and gullible.

Will had gone back to bed, after being numbed by kitty videos. He wasn't looking forward to 10:00 A.M., although perhaps just a little. He'd be able to see Sonny. He was looking forward to that.

* * *

Sonny, on the other hand, couldn't wait for 10:00 A.M. to come. Mind you, he wasn't looking forward to chemo. Who would? Chemo sucked. But his 10:00 A.M. appointment at the hospital meant that he would see Will again. He knew that Will would be nervous and he also knew that the first shot of chemo could be nerve-racking and sometimes a little dangerous. Sonny wanted to be there to encourage Will, to help him cope.

Sonny's father, Justin, was astounded to see Sonny in a rather good mood. Justin had never seen Sonny in such a good mood, not in a long time; and certainly not on the day of a chemo treatment.

Adrienne had tried to convince Justin to let her go with Sonny to chemo, and Justin had relented at first, until Sonny had found out. Sonny had literally pleaded with Justin not to let Adrienne be the one to take him. When Justin asked why, all Sonny would say at first was: **"Because she wants to ruin my life."**

Justin was taken aback by that comment. All he had to do was look at Sonny with his stop-exaggerating-young-man look and Sonny instantly started explaining:

**"Dad, Mom doesn't want me to associate with a particular person; but I like the guy. And he needs me. I don't care if he's Sami Brady's son. He just started chemo. He'll need support. And I don't even think his Mom even likes him…"**

Justin, like Adrienne, wasn't too fond of Sami Brady or Lucas Horton. But unlike Adrienne, Justin remembered hearing a few stories about a young lad named William Horton who was jostled from Sami to Lucas and back again and according to Will's Aunt Maggie, this young William didn't let that ruin him. He helped out his siblings, probably because he figured no one else would. He wanted to be a doctor, again, to help people and worked really hard to get to do that, despite the setbacks of having two rather self-absorbed parents, and a lot of responsibility. Justin even remembered a story from Maggie about Will confronting his mother about her affairs and actually threatening to gain custody of his siblings. And that was a big reason for Will and Sami's estrangement.

Justin knew that Sonny probably didn't know this. He also had a feeling that Will was a lot stronger than Sonny thought; but Justin also knew that Sonny needed this, so he told Adrienne that he would be the one to bring Sonny to the hospital.

Adrienne wasn't pleased, but Sonny sure was. And Justin couldn't help but smile as he was hearing Sonny humming a tune in the passenger seat, as Justin drove his son to the hospital.

* * *

Will and his Grandma Marlena arrived at the Chemotherapy Centre. It was 9:30. Will was nervous. Sonny had told him pretty much what to expect but he was still nervous. He was greeted by a few nurses, who knew his name, probably because of his Grandma Marlena and his Great Aunt Kayla Brady who happened to be the Chief of Staff of this Hospital.

They gave him some pamphlets to read about lymphatic cancers and some extra-medical treatments such as yoga and other stress and exercise programs. They asked him to wait until they could get his bed ready.

Will started reading the pamphlets. There was one explaining in more detail what lymphoma was, the different kinds and the different treatments. There were pamphlets on the different Cancer Societies including the Lymphoma Cancer Society; and what research and other services these societies provided.

One of the services was a mentor program, which basically twinned someone going through treatment and someone who had survived it. Will smiled at that because he and Sonny had basically started a mentor program of their own. Will was extremely grateful to Sonny for that.

There were pamphlets on other programs including different exercise and relaxation techniques, including yoga; these programs were in place for those patients who found that chemo was affecting them physically and wanted to do something about it. One of the many side effects of chemo was a stiffening of the muscles, sometimes to the point of atrophy; and programs like yoga helped in alleviating the stiffness or even stopping the effect altogether.

Marlena used this waiting time to get Will to talk to her about how he was feeling. He didn't evade these questions. Will stopped trying to do that a long time ago. It was pointless to even try, with Dr. Evans; it would have been pointless even if Marlena wasn't a trained psychiatrist. Marlena was worried about what Sami and Lucas' reactions were doing to Will. and all Will could say was :

**"Grandma, they did what they did. They feel what they feel. I can't deal with them right now. I need to think of me. I wish I had enough energy to think of others, like my brother and sisters, but I don't…"**

Marlena actually smiled at that, and she was very pleased he thought that way. Will needed to think about his health, about himself right now. She would help him with his parents later. Right now, the person who counted was Will.

* * *

Justin smiled when he noticed Sonny's reaction after they had stepped off the escalator. Sonny had noticed Will, or someone Justin figured was Will since he was a rather good-looking, blond, young man, sitting with Dr. Evans.

Justin was ready to greet Dr. Evans but her phone started to ring and she very quickly withdrew to the side; although she did nod a quick greeting. Instead, he waited until Will released Sonny from his grip, which actually took a little while for Sonny to officially introduce him to Will Horton.

Will was rather astounded by Mr. Kiriakis' reaction. Unlike Sonny's mother, his father seemed really open and friendly towards him. Will was rather surprised by that. Justin not only greeted him and asked how he was doing; but he also made sure that Will knew that he was okay with Sonny becoming friends with his son:

**"Will, I hope you take advantage of Sonny's experience. It will do you good I think. I know that helping you has lifted my son's spirits considerably, so thank you…"**

Justin could see Will's face light up when he mentioned that Will could actually be helping Sonny. Will's blue eyes sparkled; and Justin couldn't help but think how much more they could be sparkling if Will wasn't also so worried. Justin also couldn't help but notice how attractive Will was. He certainly could see how Sonny could be attracted to someone like Will.

Justin also saw Will's sparkle diminish when Marlena came back. Her expression was less than sparkly.:

**"Will, I really hate to do this, and this kind of thing hardly ever happens, but that was your Aunt Kayla who called. There seems to be an emergency downstairs and they need a psychiatrist to give a diagnosis. I am the closest one available. I'm afraid I need to go downstairs for a while. Will you be okay on your own?"**

Justin noticed that Sonny's expression went from almost-happiness to rather deep concern and then a dawning of an idea. Justin smiled because he beat Sonny in telling Marlena:

**"Dr. Evans, if Will doesn't mind, I think Sonny and I can keep him company…In fact if you need to stay at the hospital for more than a few hours, Sonny and I could take Will home with us and you could pick him up at the Kiriakis mansion afterward…He'll be well taken care of…"**

Justin enjoyed all the reactions that he witnessed. Sonny was ecstatic with the possibility. Will was torn between not wanting to be a bother and wanting to spend more time with Sonny, and Marlena was relieved that Will would have people around him who cared. Marlena, kissed her grandson on the forehead, nodded with a grateful smile to Justin, and headed down the escalator towards Emergency.

* * *

The nurses must have been instructed to place Sonny and Will side by side, or perhaps it was fate; however it happened, Sonny and Will were called almost at the same time. The nurses started to hook up Sonny, inviting Will to watch so that he would have a better idea what would happen to him.

When it was Will's turn, the nurses took his blood pressure and double checked his weight. Will had actually lost about five pounds in the last four days, which came as a bit of a surprise to him. Then, the nurses took his temperature, just to check that he didn't have a fever, which was an indication that his body could be fighting an infection. His temperature was slightly below normal, which was normal for him.

The nurses then put what they called a temporary shunt in his arm. Will had noticed that Sonny was basically hooked up to all the chemicals at once, three different bags, that slowly dripped through the shunt, into his arm. They started Will off with just one. The bag had a red liquid in it, and it felt kind of warm going in. His body reacted very quickly, it wasn't exactly a good feeling. The nurses were very attentive, just in case Will's body reacted badly. Will's blood pressure was taken again and then the other bags were placed so that they would slowly drip.

Out of coincidence (or was it fate again?), the nurses had put Sonny and Will's shunts in opposite arms leaving the arms that were closest to each other free. So when the red bag was placed to drip it's corrosive yet lifesaving liquid into Will's veins, he had unconsciously grabbed Sonny's free hand and Sonny's had unconsciously taken it and squeezed. Justin had noticed and he had inwardly smiled, trying not to bring attention to it. Justin thought that the nurses had also noticed. One of them very discreetly brought the beds closer together so their clasping arms would be more comfortable.

When it was clear that Will's body was not going to react too adversely to the medication, everyone, including the nurses, breathed a sigh of relief, and Will finally noticed that he had grabbed Sonny's hand. Justin again smiled as he noticed Will's face reddening with embarrassment. He tried to pull away, but Sonny wouldn't let him.

Justin smiled because he knew his son. Deep down Sonny was just as embarrassed as Will was. Deep down Sonny also hadn't realized that he had held Will's hand. But Justin knew that Sonny was keeping his composure, not so much for his sake, but for Will's, because it was extremely obvious how embarrassed Will was. It was also extremely obvious to anyone watching that these two young men did not mind holding hands, not in the slightest.

Justin decided to ignore the hands and simply got out the deck of cards and the cribbage board that he had brought with him. This was something that he and Sonny had agreed upon, to pass the time. He positioned the board so that Will could also play. Will wasn't as familiar with this particular card game but he wasn't about to say no. It wasn't polite for one thing, and he really wanted to spend some time getting to know Sonny some more.

Justin thought this was a good opportunity to tease his son a little, as well as make Will a bit more comfortable, and started to tell Will some Sonny childhood stories. Will couldn't believe how comfortable he was with Sonny and Justin.

The hour and a half flew by much more quickly than Will had thought it would. He had texted his grandmother and was told that she would have to take Justin up on his offer if that was still okay. Justin of course agreed. He asked Will if he wanted to go someplace and get a burger or something. Sonny informed him that it would probably be a good idea, because once the medication really kicked in, in a few hours, he wouldn't feel like eating much. They would pick up all his other meds he would need before heading out. Before they did that, the nurses had reminded Sonny and Will to take their temperatures regularly and to call the Lymphoma Centre's hotline, at any time, if their temperature went above thirty eight degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit). And then Will heard a very embarrassing, and very familiar sound coming from the front room.

His mother was shouting his name.


	5. Chapter 5

A nurse came into the treatment room and asked Will to stay where he was while they dealt with a rather perturbed person in the front room. She told Will that this person identified herself as Will's mother. William told the nurse that the person shouting was indeed his mother. He apologized and said that he would go out there and deal with her.

Suddenly they could all hear Sami Brady shouting rather loudly: **"William Horton! If you are somewhere here…Answer your mother! This was probably some cruel trick! You probably aren't even sick!"**

Sonny and Justin both were about to stop Will, or at least object to him having anything to do with his mother, but they weren't fast enough; the nurse, Maureen, beat them to it:

**"Will, you didn't do anything wrong. Your mother is being belligerent. We get that sometimes. Sometimes loved ones of people who are sick react badly. It is not your fault. You need to stay as stress-free as you can. We haven't told her you were here. May we have permission to talk to her? That might calm her down."**

Will gave Maureen permission to tell his mother that he was in the treatment room. After she left, Will waited and hoped this would calm her down enough so she would be able to talk to him calmly. He really didn't necessarily want to speak to her, but she was his mother. He realized that he must have said this out loud when Sonny stepped towards one of the nurses and whispered a question in his ear.

Sonny then stepped back towards Will and hugged him. He told Will that he was really sorry that he had to go through this kind of thing with his mother; but if Will didn't want to face his mother there was another way out. Justin nodded and told Will that it was up to him, but leaving the back way was certainly an option. Justin reminded Will that the invitation to lunch was still open; in fact it was probably the best thing for Will right now.

Will sighed and said that he didn't think it right to sneak out. It would just antagonize his mother even more and she would be just that much more angry when next he met her. So when Maureen came back to tell Will that his mother had calmed down and that she was waiting for him, he nodded and walked to the front room, followed closely behind by Sonny, and then Justin.

* * *

Sonny wasn't sure if seeing Sami Brady was the right thing for Will to do, but he wanted to support Will in his decisions, because that was what friends do. If she started berating or yelling at him, Sonny might have to step in.

Sami was standing near the nurses' station, her arms folded and her expression was streaked with annoyance and stress, and what could be quite a bit of worry. When Sami saw Will, she uncrossed her arms and stepped forward. Will seemed to think that she looked contrite and certainly sounded like it, at least in the beginning:

**"Will, you weren't lying to me were you? You really are sick…I'm so sorry sweetheart. Come home with me so that I can take care of you. You'll need rest… "**

But then she went in a different direction:

**"And maybe we could figure out a way to fix your…other problem too…Psychotherapy or something. Your grandmother said that what you said was true. You don't have any STIs. The cancer is unrelated to your…other problem. But we'll start by fixing the cancer first. Thank goodness we caught it in time and no permanent damage was done…."**

Sonny was stunned. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he had heard right Will's Mom just called his being gay…not only a problem, like cancer was a problem, but that it could be fixed too. He looked over at Will. He could see that Will looked dejected, and quite a bit angry. Will shouldn't have to deal with this kind of nonsense, not even from his parent; no, not especially from his parent. He was about to say something but Justin intervened first:

**"Hello Sami. It's been awhile. I couldn't help but overhear you talking to your son…"**

Sami looked at Justin, and a grimace crossed her lips, making her face look menacing:

**"Justin, I don't know what you are doing here…but I'm talking to my son…we were just about to leave. What I say to my son is between the two of us so I would appreciate it if you would…"**

Justin interrupted Sami, which probably wasn't the best idea; but he did it anyway:

**"Sami, my son Sonny and your Will are friends. Sonny started chemo treatment six weeks ago. He's been helping Will get through the last few days. We were just on our way to have lunch…"**

Sami, did not take kindly to being interrupted, and decided to interrupt Justin:

**"That won't be necessary Justin. Will will be coming home with me. We have things to discuss…"**

When Sami looked towards her son. She noticed something. Sonny had stepped forward, and had gently grasped Will's hand as a gesture of comfort and support. Sami saw it as something else:

**"Wait a minute. Your son is gay! I remember no**w!" She turned towards Sonny and started shouted at him: **"You! You must have made my son gay! Did you give him his cancer as well?!"**

Justin stepped in front of both boys, because Sami had decided to take a confrontational stance and was heading towards them. But before he could say anything Will began to speak. He tried to have an even tone of voice, but it was difficult. His mother always did this. Either everything was about her, or then everything was someone else's fault. And Will of course couldn't do anything right. He sighed, tried to keep his anger in check and began:

**"Mom. Do you always have to say things to hurt people? Sonny hasn't done anything wrong. We are friends. And even if we were more than friends, well Mom…You've just proven to me that it's really none of your business…"**

Sami was about to interrupt him, but Will recognized the signs and pre-empted her attempt by lifting his arm straight up and making a stop signal with his hands:

"No Mom…you need to listen. I will be staying at Grandma Marlena's. If you truly love me and want me to get better, you'll let me deal with this on my own terms. I have too many things to worry about. I can't deal with you right now…"

Again he saw the signs of an interruption coming on and again he stopped her:

**"No Mom…being gay isn't one of them! I am gay. I was made that way…and No Mom…I am not blaming you…"**

But this time Sami's interruption could not be contained:

**"Of course it's my fault! Isn't everything that's ever happened to you my fault?! Your father leaving….my fault! You, having to take care of your own brother and sisters…my fault! So why shouldn't we put this on me?!...Just another thing for you to yell at me about!"**

Sami threw her arms up in the air in a show of deep and utter frustration, swiveled around and left the Chemotherapy Centre in a huff.

Will watched his mother leave. His body started to shake and he started to feel dizzy. He heard a nurse shout that someone should get him a glass of juice. He felt strong hands, Sonny's and Justin's (mostly Justin's) guide him to the nearest empty chair where he was prompted to sit down. After being handed a cup of juice and drinking it slowly, all the while feeling hands stroking his back (These were Sonny's), Will stood up, grabbed Sonny's hand, looked at Justin and said:

**"Mr. Kiriakis, can we go get my medication now? And if the invitation still stands, I'd like to get something to eat. I know a place…"**

* * *

They arrived the Brady Pub, after picking up Will's medication as well as some dietary supplements prescribed by the doctor, in flavours Sonny had recommended. Even by then Will and Sonny weren't feeling all that well. Their stomachs were knotting. The chemicals were working their way inside their bodies, beginning to destroy cancerous cells, but because they could not distinguish between good and bad cells they also started destroying some helpful cells, like the bacteria found in the stomach and gut.

Sonny, having more experience, ate through these sensations, and encouraged Will to do the same. Will's Grandma Caroline came out personally to greet her grandson and the two individuals who accompanied him. She hugged Will with every ounce of love and strength that she could manage. And when she was introduced to Sonny, and was explained how much he had helped her great-grandson in these difficult times, she gave Sonny hugs, with almost as much love and strength as she gave Will. She insisted that they eat a hamburger and some fries and a large chocolate milk shake.

Justin asked if the buns had any sesame seeds, and if so, to please remove them for Sonny and for Will. He stated that seeds and nuts, if they weren't powdered, wouldn't be good for either boy's digestion. They could even cause serious damage since the seeds couldn't be digested and could tear stomach and intestinal lining. Caroline thanked Justin for the information and went into the kitchen to make sure things were done correctly.

Will had been relatively quiet ever since his mother stormed out of the Chemotherapy Centre. He had not liked how she had attacked Sonny. He almost lost his temper. His doctor had warned him that several of the medications he was on would make him short-tempered. He had been so mad at her that all he could do was stare. But now he was happy. Sonny was by his side.

He enjoyed Sonny's company so much. And right now he was enjoying the father-son banter that Justin and Sonny enjoyed sharing with one another. According to Justin, Sonny was just starting to experience what he termed chemo-brain. Whenever Sonny started reminiscing about his childhood, or any other topic really, especially if the story was rather involved, and several ideas had to be kept in play, Sonny would get this glazed looked on his face and then a look of frustration.

Then, usually, Sonny would say something like: **"Okay…where was I going with this?"** or **"What were we talking about?" **and the conversation would come abruptly to an end.

Upon hearing this, Sonny decided to demonstrate it by saying: **"I don't do…wait...what were we talking about? Oh yeah...oh frig this! And frig you too dad...this is so embarrassing!" **

Successfully stifling a laugh, Will thought of his relationship with his own father. Will was a little envious of Sonny's relationship with his dad. He wished he could have something like that with his own dad; but with all the moving around and the court cases, all the cheating and screaming, having the relationship he did have with his dad seemed like a miracle.

Will reached over and grabbed Sonny's hand and squeezed. Sonny smiled, squeezed Will's hand back, and said: **"Don't you worry Will…this is probably going to happen to you too…and when it does…I won't laugh at you either…"**

* * *

Justin Sonny and Will arrived at the Kiriakis mansion at around 2:00 P.M. Sonny and Will were both visibly not feeling well. Before getting the out of the car Justin suggested that the two boys go directly to the atrium, taking one the paths that winded around the gardens. That way he would have the chance to talk to Adrienne alone.

Adrienne was waiting in the parlour adjacent to the main entrance to the mansion. When she heard the door open she stood up. When she saw that only Justin walked into the parlour, she started to panic. Justin, knowing his wife's typical reactions, anticipated this and preempted any serious reaction by stating:

**"Adrienne, Sonny's fine. He's just walking to the atrium from the outside… "**

Justin also anticipated Adrienne's next move which was to go directly to the atrium to see how her son was doing. He stepped in front of her. He then anticipated her next question by saying: **"Adrienne, let the boy be alone for a little while, please."**

Justin also knew that he needed to fess up to the fact someone else was with him. Adrienne's motherly instincts were very strong. Standing in the way of her and her son, was dangerous, even in the best of times, even if you were the son's father:

**"Adrienne, Sonny wants to have a little time with Will Horton before Will's grandmother comes to pick him up. Just let them be. Please. I'll explain."**

Although Justin could see Adrienne itching to go to her son and save him from Will Horton, his tone of voice was enough to convince her to listen to him. And she did. He explained about Marlena having to leave, Will being alone and about Sami.

Adrienne knew Sami could act and do some crazy things. But she couldn't understand this. Will was Sami's son. Adrienne didn't like Sami but she knew that when it came to her children, Sami was just as protective as she was with her children. To disregard that instinct, to turn against her own son, that meant that there must be something terribly wrong with that son. She needed to save Sonny from Will Horton. She needed to do it now. She said as much to Justin.

Justin couldn't believe what he was hearing his wife say. Will Horton wasn't a bad kid. From what he witnessed today he was quite the opposite. Besides, Will was good for Sonny. He said that to his wife along with something else that stopped Adrienne in her tracks, just before she was about to bolt right through him:

**"Adrienne, just listen to me. You think Will is a bad kid because Sami has disowned him. Ask yourself. Has she really? Think on it for a second…you receive two pieces of news all at once, one of them being your child might die…What would your reaction be?"**

That statement caused Adrienne to truly think on it. If she receive the news of Sonny's cancer, coming to the conclusion that he was dying; then finding out that he was gay, would she blame his cancer, his dying on the fact that he was gay? And what if she thought she could change that. She'd fight, and she'd fight hard. Irrational though that might be, she would try and change Sonny, in order to save him.

Coming to that conclusion caused Adrienne to reconsider her stance on Will Horton, slightly:

**"All right, I'll give Will a chance. But I want to meet him. They can have a few minutes more. But I want to get to know the man that my son is clearly smitten with, and has been since the first moment he saw Will."**


	6. Chapter 6

When Justin suggested that Sonny and Will take the outdoor paths to the atrium, Sonny thought it was a great idea. He took Will's hand, out of instinct and guided him along the path. They both walked in silence, hand-in-hand, watching the May flowers budding and growing, seeing the blossoms on the trees. They both had things on their minds and were both content with the silence.

Sonny had been trying to find a good time to bring something up to Will. He wasn't sure exactly how Will was going to react, but he could not help himself anymore. He was falling in love with Will, and he needed to voice that fact to Will.

Sonny knew from the first moment that he had seen Will in the waiting room of the lymphoma clinic that Will was someone special, someone who Sonny wanted to get to know. In the last four days they had spent a lot of time on the phone and on vidcom, talking about their lives, talking about coming out and about being truthful to who one is, if only for oneself. They also talked about cancer and the treatment and even, just a bit, about death. They talked about their families (mostly about their mothers). Sonny was so impressed with how Will was handling all this. He wanted to be there for Will, and in the beginning he was content to be just friends; but it seemed that they were more than that, although Sonny wasn't sure how that was even possible; they had known each other for only four days!

What made Sonny think that they were meant to be more than just friends? Besides the whole heart-fluttering and the goose-bumps on the skin whenever Sonny saw or even talked to Will, there was the whole holding of hands thing. Now granted, that could just be Will's way of being friendly and supportive; but really? Who does that? And Sonny had caught himself doing the same thing with Will, (they were even doing it now!) and he knew that this was definitely not normal friend behaviour for him.

But the timing couldn't have been any more wrong, could it? How could either one of them even consider starting a relationship? Sonny thought about whether he could cope if he lost Will so soon after meeting him. What about if HE didn't make it? What would that do to Will? This was so unfair.

Sonny eventually couldn't take it anymore, he had to say something. Just as they reached the glass walls of the atrium Sonny gathered all his courage turned to Will and said: **"Will I need to ask you something…"**

* * *

Will was enjoying the walk along the outside of the Kiriakis mansion. Flowers were blooming; birds were singing; insects were buzzing around. Life was happening. He enjoyed being reminded about life; especially since he had been thinking about death quite a bit lately.

There was another reason he was enjoying himself. He had looked down and had noticed that Sonny had grabbed his hand. Will enjoyed Sonny's touch so much, maybe a little too much. Even if one disregarded the obvious miss-timing of their meeting (although Will couldn't do that), Will wasn't accustomed to feeling this much, these powerful emotions, for someone.

He had been attracted to guys for a long time. And it took him a long time to accept what these attractions meant, and that to be true to who he was, he couldn't run from these feelings; but his feelings for Sonny were so intense that he was afraid (scared out of his head was more like it). He had to ask himself, were his feelings this intense because of his current circumstances? Would he feel this much, this fast for Sonny if he wasn't going through cancer?

Will had been asking these questions for days now; and he always came to the same answer. Yes. Sonny was so good. He was graceful and giving and kind. He had compassion for others. Will could also see Sonny's outer beauty, even as sick as Sonny was (His eyes were so intensely beautiful, and his lips…Oh My God!). He was beautiful inside and out. Will wasn't sure what he would do without Sonny in his life.

There was a chance that either Sonny or he wouldn't make it. Will wasn't sure if Sonny was willing to open his heart to him because of the very real possibility that one of them might actually die. Will, for his part wasn't 100% sure about it himself, but he needed to discuss it. Will wanted Sonny to know how he felt about him; and Will wanted to know how Sonny felt about HIM.

Will took a deep breath, sighed and then said:

**"Sonny** **I need to ask you something…"**

* * *

Hearing the other speak, both Sonny and Will said simultaneously: **"No, you go ahead…" **and then both young men laughed, embracing each other in an innocent friendly hug, that lasted quite a bit longer than either one anticipated.

It was Sonny that withdrew from the hug first, but he kept his hands strongly on Will's forearms, looked into Will's beautiful ocean-blue eyes and said:

**"Will, we really need to talk…But I'm getting a little tired so we need to sit down…"**

They found a nice love-seat just to one side of the doors leading to inside the atrium, and both sat down, with Sonny placing a hand on Will's knee (very much like he had done the first day they met):

**"Will, I know you are going through a lot right now…so am I…But I need to say something…"**

Will, for his part, thought that Sonny was going to go the we-can-only-be-friends-route. He wasn't sure he could stand that and he needed to say what he was feeling right now, before it was too late. And that is why both Sonny and Will said simultaneously:

**"I think I am falling in love with you…"**

Surprisingly…it was Will that gained enough composure first to ask: **"Wait…what did you say?" **and Sonny replied:

**"Will, I think…no…I know…with every fibre of my being that I am falling in love with you…" **

Will, lost all his composure. He was not expecting this at all. He just figured out his own feelings; he never expected Sonny to actually feel the same way, much less say it out loud. All Will could manage was:** "Ditto…"**

Hearing a flustered Will, Sonny decided he needed to do something before Will became a mess, or he would, and this magical moment would pass. And so, Sonny smiled, raised a gentle hand to Will's chin and pulled Will into a gentle loving and sweet first kiss.

* * *

Adrienne had stared at Justin for about two minutes. Adrienne had her arms crossed and also had a look of defiant determination, practically daring Justin to say anything. For his part, Justin remained calm. This wasn't the first time that he had persuaded Adrienne to go against her mama-bear instincts and actually try to be cautious about one of her actions.

Justin also knew that this certainly wasn't over. Adrienne was not the kind of person to change her mind easily. She would seem to be tolerant and even accepting of change but would snatch any and all opportunity to revert back to her original stance.

Justin loved his wife and this particular trait of hers usually allowed things to turn out for the best, but Sonny was a grown man and should be allowed to live his own life; and Justin believed that his wife wasn't ready to give up her mama-bear role quite yet, if ever.

Justin firmly and fully believed that Will Horton was a good, if not great new element in Sonny's life. And Justin was sure that Sonny could help Will in many ways, not just with his cancer.

Justin also believed that Sonny and Will were developing feelings for one another, and they were developing them very fast. It was Justin's opinion that that was a very good thing. True love didn't come by very often, and neither did reciprocal love-at-first-sight; and Justin believed that he had witnessed both in Will and Sonny's interactions. He would do all he could to stop Adrienne's inevitable interference.

* * *

Adrienne was staring at her husband. She couldn't believe that he had manipulated her into giving Will Horton…Sami Brady's son…a chance. He might be right. After all, Will Horton was not Sami Brady. But as the saying goes, sometimes the apple does not fall far from the tree. She would have to keep a close eye on him, and on her son, it looked like.

_"Sonny, what am I going to do with you?"_ she thought to herself. He was always getting into binds, even as a kid. Not that cancer was a bind, or remotely his doing at all; but climbing mountains, skydiving, starting businesses before he even went to school to learn how to do it, these were all things Sonny HAD done. He always jumped in feet first, and suffered the consequences later.

Adrienne just didn't want Sonny to jump into anything that remotely had to do with Sami Brady, including her son. Justin was implying that Sonny was more than smitten with that Horton boy and she would have to make sure that her son, or that Will, didn't cross into 'the love zone'. Will Horton would probably break her son's heart eventually and in his present condition that could very well be the end; and Adrienne was not about to let that happen, not in the slightest.

After the required minute or two, she sprang past her husband who decided to follow her and she headed towards The Atrium. There were several such places in the rather large house, but Adrienne knew Sonny's favorite spot; a glassed-in partition to the mansion that was almost a greenhouse. It was filled with beautiful plants and some edible garden variety ones.

She rounded a corner and entered the atrium, scanned the room and didn't see anyone. Then she noticed two figures sitting outside, by the doors. It was Sonny and that Will Horton…and that Horton boy was seducing her son!

She ran to the doors, opened them and shouted in a rather loud voice:

**"William Horton, how dare you seduce my son?!"**

* * *

The sensation was unbelievable. The look in Will's eyes, those wonderful blue eyes, was full of tenderness and anticipation; then the touch of his lips, so tentative and gentle; the brushing of one nose with the other. Sonny was in heaven. Then Will must have mustered up a little courage, because Sonny could feel the pressure of Will's lips increase, as he grabbed at Sonny's lower lip with his teeth, very gently. This definitely was heaven.

And then the moment disappeared in a flash as he felt the rush of wind from the Atrium doors opening and his mother's voice:

**"William Horton, how dare you seduce my son?! His immune system is suppressed! You could be killing him with your filthy Brady germs!"**

Sonny couldn't believe this. How could his mother do this to him? She had a real knack for knowing just when to ruin a moment. And this was probably the most beautiful moment of his life…so far.

Sonny reacted instantly, by removing his hand from Will's chin to present it to his mother. He also, simultaneously squeezed Will's knee, to try and reassure him. He then spoke, a little harshly (with good reason) to his mother:

**"Mom! For your information, if anyone was seducing anyone, I was seducing Will! I kissed him! If…this was any of your business…which it most certainly is not!"**

Sonny could tell that his mother was far from finished. He glanced briefly at Will to see if he were okay. Will looked embarrassed. Sonny squeezed Will's knee a little more, knowing that his mother was about to give one or both of them a verbal onslaught and that there really wasn't anything he could do to stop it. If he tried to stop it now, she would just get worse and perhaps even more hurtful than he knew she was about to be:

**"You are my son. I care about you. And I'm sure that this young man, with his perfect good-looks and his shy demeanor has manipulated you, just like his mother could manipulate any man she chose! You need your rest Sonny…you don't need some manipulative needy person hanging around you zapping you of your energy!"**

* * *

When Sonny kissed him, Will was a little shocked. It felt so warm, and good. It felt nice. Sonny felt like home. Will was able to relax and enjoy this intimacy and then something happened. He felt a fire growing within and he did not want to embarrass himself by letting it get out of control, and so he used his teeth, just a little to clamp down and allow himself a little self-control.

And then Sonny's mother showed up and started shouting at him; and she was right. Sonny's immune system was more compromised than his, at least it was for now. He felt Sonny's reassuring hand on his thigh and that took the sting away for Mrs. Kiriakis' words, at least a little. But then Will got to thinking, and he realized that she may be right about him. All his life he tried to distance himself from his mother, her behaviour and what he deemed to be her selfish motivations. That was why he had worked hard, to get the grades , to make something of himself; to be in a position to help others. But maybe he was being selfish now. Maybe he should stay away from Sonny, for Sonny's own good.

And even though Sonny was telling his mother to basically mind her own business, maybe she was right. Will decided that he needed to explain his feelings to her. Try and make her understand that he was not his mother; that he truly did care for Sonny, even though they really had only truly met four days ago.

With his adrenalin pumping wildly, Will decided to stand up, explain himself. Defend himself. But then…everything became dark.

* * *

Justin was very disappointed in his wife. He wished that she could have waited and that she hadn't seen her baby kiss another man. He knew that no one would ever be good enough for Sonny; but Sami Brady's kid never even stood a chance.

When he saw Sonny kissing Will Horton, unlike his wife , his first reaction was happiness and pride. He was happy that Sonny and Wil had finally admitted, at least somewhat, their feelings for each other. And he was extremely proud of both of them to have the courage to express those feelings, under the circumstances.

When Sonny stood up for himself, he became even more proud. And he could see the discussion brewing in Will's mind. Justin was hoping that he would find the courage to defend himself. And when he started standing, Justin again felt a bit of pride.

But then Will faltered. As he was standing, Justin could see Will lose his balance, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He had fainted. Sonny was the first to rush to Will, and Justin was the second.

Adrienne simply stood where she was with her hands on her hips as she said:

**"See? He's being melodramatic…just like his mother!"**

Justin couldn't believe what he just heard his wife saw Sonny crouch down to see if Will was okay. Sonny took Will by the arm and shouted: **"Will! Will! Are you okay?"**

Then Justin saw Will stir, look at Sonny, put his arm around him and kiss him. Will's face then reddened and an embarrassed look came across his face as he looked at Adrienne and then at Justin:

**"I'm fine Sonny"** he finally said, **"I just fainted. The doctor warned me that this might happen. I just didn't think it would be so soon."**

He then asked Sonny and Justin to help him up because he had something to say to Mrs. Kiriakis. And she stood there...waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

When Sonny saw Will fall, an irrational fear swarmed over him; he feared that Will was leaving him, that he was dying, and that Sonny would be left alone. He felt that he had finally found his soul-mate and fate, God, or something, decided to take Will away from him. And even though he knew that Will had only fainted, that fear was real, and it was strong.

That fear caused Sonny to grab hold of Will, in an irrational attempt to keep Will with him. Then common sense sprang forward and he simply shouted: **"Will! Will! Are you okay?" **At his words, Will stirred. And Sonny thanked God, the fate or whomever; and he was about to say something to that effect when he felt an arm surround him and lips collide with his own; Will's lips…his luscious beautiful succulent lips. And Sonny felt a million times better.

When Will released him, Sonny felt lighted headed, almost lighted enough to faint. But he didn't. And when Will asked for a hand up so he could talk to Sonny's mother, Sonny thought, yet again, that he might faint.

* * *

Will felt himself fall. He knew why. He had gotten up too fast. He was extremely embarrassed. And when Sonny sprang towards him, Will felt an overwhelming sense of being special. And that sense of being special translated to a need to express his feelings towards the person who made him feel special. Will reached up, grabbed Sonny by the neck and pulled him close.

And that is when Will remembered that Sonny and he were not alone. He felt his face blush and looked towards Mr. and Mrs. Kiriakis. In Justin's eyes he saw compassion and worry, and in Adrienne's he saw contempt, and hint of annoyance.

He reassured Sonny and Justin that he was okay and asked for a helping hand to his feet. He needed to address Adrienne. He knew how she felt about him. He knew that she felt that Sonny deserved better. He'd had to deal with this kind of attitude before, in the form of his own mother's attitude towards him; and he also knew he needed to confront her, or at the very least assert himself. It would be the only way to preserve his own self-esteem, something he'd had to work very hard at, for a rather long time.

Will stepped towards Adrienne, leaving behind Sonny and Justin, although Will could still feel Sonny's hand on his shoulder, as he spoke:

**"Mrs. Kiriakis, I understand why you dislike my mother. I really do. She isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with…believe me I know; so I understand why you would feel reluctant about your son associating with hers. But, I am not my mother Mrs. Kiriakis."**

Will realized that Adrienne was about to interrupt him. He put up a hand and asked her to please allow him to finish. He took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to keep his emotions under control, especially his anger:

**"Your son has helped me a lot, Mrs. Kiriakis, and it might seem to you that we are moving too fast….I think we might be moving too fast…but we can't help it…But before we get into that…I need to tell you one thing…Mrs. Kiriakis…"**

Again Will stopped, for just a second, to gather his emotions one more time and again he had to stop Adrienne from interrupting by a hand gesture and a plea:

**"Mrs. Kiriakis, all my life I have been used as a pawn in one game or another, mostly as a tool for my parents to get back at one another. I've also been told by many, including my own mother that I wouldn't amount to much. In my mother's case I think it was just a self-preservation mechanism to keep herself from feeling disappointment…but it still hurt me nonetheless…So, Mrs. Kiriakis, you aren't the first person, and you probably won't be the last to say how I'll never be good enough for anything. And, Mrs. Kiriakis…If I can handle my mother…I think I can handle you and the game that you are playing."**

That little declaration was enough to stop Adrienne from interrupting yet again. She looked shocked. Will used that opportunity to go on to say that he had to fight this negative feedback all his life. He had to work harder to prove to HIMSELF that he was worth something. And he thought that he did. He not only got into college, but Harvard, on scholarship, in Pre-Med. He was used to suffering set-backs. Not everything had gone as planned in life. First he'd dealt, maybe not well, but he did deal with his sexuality, and now he had cancer to deal with, and he would…he would deal with it…on his own if he had to:

**"But Mrs. Kiriakis, I found your son…and you may think that I latched on to him because I am too needy, that I am using him. But I don't think so. I started having feelings for your son from the minute I saw him Mrs. Kiriakis. Without knowing his history, without even knowing if he were gay…"**

Will was getting tired, and because he had to spend so much energy fending off Adrienne's negative vibes (and her constant attempts at interruptions), his energy wavered just enough to give Adrienne the opening she needed. And she used that opening to full effect.

* * *

Adrienne watched her son and her husband help this interloping, manipulative son-of-Sami get up, after he obviously fainted for manipulative dramatic purposes (so like his mother). She noticed that he looked at her defiantly and then started in on his manipulative excuses, just like his mother had done countless times. If he cared at all about her son, like he said he did, he would have left him alone. Sonny didn't need distractions, or anything or anyone to take away energy that he needed to fight his cancer; except, of course for her.

Adrienne didn't even want to listen to this Horton boy's excuses. But he didn't let her get a word in. Finally she was able to speak. He finally got tired of hearing his own voice and allowed her time to argue some sense into him and also into Sonny:

**"My son is sick…do you not get that? He doesn't need distractions. And, Will Horton, that is all you are. Sonny could have anyone, absolutely anyone he chooses; and, he should have the cream of the crop, not some sick, lonely boy who is trying to better himself and get away from his parents; someone who apparently didn't have the courage to tell them who he really was until he was forced to do so only a few days ago. Do you truly think Sonny deserves someone like that?"**

And Adrienne waited for Will to respond.

* * *

Justin was watching his wife tear into poor Will, as only she knew how to do. Justin thought that Will had done a rather good job of trying to explain his feelings, at trying to dissuade Adrienne from jumping to conclusions about him, but Justin knew that Will didn't stand a chance. Adrienne did not like Will's mother and he would have an upward battle to dissuade her from her opinion that he was just like her. And the fact that Will had feelings for her son didn't matter. The fact that Will was sick himself didn't matter either. The fact that Will had been trying to better himself, Justin thought was inconsequential for Adrienne and her quest to protect her son.

He could see Will almost wilting; and whether Will was wilting from Adrienne's verbal onslaught or from the fatigue brought on by the chemotherapy treatment he just received, Justin wasn't sure. He was about to try to stop Adrienne from damaging this poor young man any more than she already had when he heard his son speak:  
**"Mother…enough… How could you do this? Not only are you embarrassing me in front of someone I am starting to really care about…but you insult him to his face…"**

Justin heard his son say that Will had helped him in so many ways in the last few days. Will had given him a reason to fight. Will was generous and kind and funny. And the clincher: **"And I don't care who his mother is. Were you not listening to him? Bringing him down like you just did, it's no better than anything his mother has done!"**

Justin glanced at Adrienne once his son had said that. He could tell that she was grappling with her feelings. He knew that she wanted nothing better than to tear Sami Brady to pieces, but doing it front of Will Horton would only make what her son said just that much more true.

Justin tried not to smirk. He glanced at Sonny, who by this time had stepped closer to his mother, and had brought his hand down to grab Will's. They stood together hand-in-hand. An then Justin heard Sonny say something he was afraid he would say; something that he knew Adrienne's little parental tantrum might provoke. Sonny decided to rebel:

**"Mom, I love you, but what you did…what you are doing…to Will and to me…is just not…nice…."**

Justin saw his son turn towards him, sigh and then say: **"Dad, I'm sorry, but could you drive me back to my apartment? I think it's better if I stay there…at least there I can see who I want. And my boyfriend won't be insulted at every turn…I mean…"**

Justin grinned. Earlier Will had almost used the l word, he was sure of it, and then his son just used the b word. Justin hoped his wife was intelligent enough to see the signs and backtrack what she was saying and doing. Those two young men in front of them were in love with each other.

* * *

Sonny could not believe what he was hearing his mother say to Will. It was rude. It was uncalled for, and it was untrue. Will was a great guy…a good person. He was sweet and a bit shy. He was generous. He'd seen that. He was also very forgiving.

Sonny could tell that Will had chosen his words very carefully, in order to not upset Sony's mother too much. It didn't work, and it wouldn't have, but Will had tried anyway. Sonny suspected that Will did it not only for her sake or even his own but also for Sonny's.

When Sonny heard his mother insult Will by basically saying that he wasn't good enough, that Sonny deserved more than what Will could give, Sonny lost his temper.

How dare his mother treat Will that way! How dare she demean him, like he was socially unworthy! What was this the middle-ages? They were supposed to be living in a classless society…not somewhere where one was only supposed to associate with the 'right people'.

Sonny could see that Will was not taking it well. Well, that wasn't true, not exactly. It was obvious that Will had heard all of this before. Sonny could see, as his mother talked down to him, that Will resolved to let it roll off his back, but his energies were such, and the medication he had taken acted upon his psyche and his emotions, in such a way, that his spirits diminished with every one of Adrienne's words.

Sonny grabbed Will's hand with his own, hoping that the physical contact would reassure him, perhaps even give him some strength. When Will's face became severely awash with self-doubt, he decided to defend him against his mother, because she was definitely in the wrong. He then told his mother a little about how Will had helped him in the last few days:

**"The fact that I found Will, someone I could help and relate to. Someone who will know exactly what I am going through, someone I can talk to and can help through things…Mom, I can't tell you how it makes me feel. Will understands me, and he listens to me and cares how I feel and what I think about things…unlike some people I could name…"**

Sonny could tell that his mother was going to continue. He believed that she figured if she said it enough that he was bound to believe it. He would not do that to Will. he then started thinking that she was not only disrespectful to Will but also to him. She did not respect his decisions. If she did, she would allow him to explore this relationship with Will, on his own terms, without trying to interfere.

Sonny, knowing his mother as he did, knew that she would most likely not relent. She would take every opportunity to berate Will, long after this particular discussion was over, until she got her way. And Sonny wasn't sure if he could tolerate that. Instead of waiting until it bothered him so much, or until it drove Will away, Sonny thought he should distance himself from his mother. He had his own apartment. He could go back there. And that way he would be free to see Will whenever he wanted:

**"Mom, I love you, but what you did…what you are doing…to Will and to me…is just not…nice…."**

He turned to his father and asked him to take him back home. And a word escaped his lips. A word that he wasn't sure Will was ready to hear, although Sonny already thought of Will in those terms: **"And my boyfriend won't be insulted at every turn…I mean…"**

Sonny felt his cheeks blush with apprehension as he took his attention away from his parents to concentrate wholeheartedly on Will. Maybe Will didn't hear him say it. Maybe he got away with it, so that he and Will could properly discuss their relationship in private, as normal couples would.

When Sonny saw Will's wide-eyed expression, he became very nervous. He also understood that Will had heard exactly what he said. Sonny was about to plead with Will to forget what he heard when Will spoke:

**"Sonny? Did you just call me your boyfriend? Is that how you think of me? Is that what you want?"**

Throughout Will's questions, that seemed to zoom past him, Sonny continuously nodded. He then felt Will's lips on his, yet again; they kissed passionately right in front of his mother. Sonny didn't care. In fact, he hoped that Will kissing him would make his mother thoroughly uncomfortable.

When Will released him from the kiss, Sonny felt elated. Even more so because of the large grin and the blazing brightness of Will's eyes. Will was happy and that made Sonny very happy. But then Sonny saw Will's expression change. It became a bit somber. And then Sonny heard Will speak, in almost a whisper, but with a sternness that surprised him:

**"Sonny, I would be glad to be your boyfriend. Nothing would make me happier, but I can't allow you to separate yourself from your parents because of me. You need to be around people who love you, that can help you. What if you develop a complication? What if no one can come to your aid in time? You need to stay here Sonny. Please say you'll stay here? And make it right with your mother…you are lucky to have a mother that cares about you like she obviously does…"**

Sonny nodded. In this moment he would do almost anything for Will, even forgiving his mother. But then Will turned to his father and asked Justin if he wouldn't mind taking him home. Sonny heard Will say that he felt tired and that he didn't think he could wait for his grandmother to come and pick him up.

Sonny could see that Will, although he wanted Sonny to not be fighting with Sonny's mother, especially not because of him, couldn't stay there. Sonny could see Will's expression turn to sadness. He glanced at his mother and saw a look of triumphant satisfaction on her face and all he could think was: **"No effing way!"**


	8. Chapter 8

Adrienne was standing by the door to the main corridor of the Kiriakis mansion. She stood there as if she were on guard. She would not let any interloper pass this door, especially the son of Sami Brady; a son who was obviously after her son, probably a gold-digger just like his mother. She knew Will was a good kid. There was ample enough evidence, not the least of which was his attempt at trying to salvage her and her son's relationship; basically giving her what she wanted so that Sonny would not destroy his relationship with her. Yes, she knew Will was a good kid, but she didn't care. Sonny would find someone else, someone better...someone not related to Sami Brady.

She watched Will, who was rapidly losing energy, slump as he looked at her son. After Will had asked Justin to drive him home, Adrienne had thought she'd won, but her victory was very short-lived. She saw Sonny turn towards her, and she tried to guard her feelings, her facial expression, but she realized very quickly that she had failed.

Sonny turned back towards Will and said: **"No. No Effing way Will. You aren't leaving, not because of my mother. I'll stay here, on the condition that you stay here with me, for a little while, until your grandmother picks you up."**

Adrienne saw her son turn towards her, a look of angry frustration on his face and he spoke to her through jagged emotions:**"And Mom…I'll stay here, on the condition that if Will wants to be here…If I want Will to be here…He'll be here. If I find out that you have started manipulating him, by telling him I'm unavailable, or busy, or sick, or too good for him, or WHATEVER…I'm gone."**

Adrienne wasn't happy. She was so unhappy, so angry that her efforts just did not seem to be working, she went on a verbal offensive, which wasn't the best idea**: "Sonny! You have absolutely no right to talk to me like that! I am your mother! I am only doing what is best for you! Will Horton will ruin your life! You mark my words. He may seem nice, but he'll turn out just like his mother in the end, probably even worse! And you will get hurt!"**

She regretted what she said from the very moment those words left her lips. She saw Sonny's anger rise. She could tell that he was about to say something; most likely something scathing. But Sonny didn't have a chance to say anything. Instead Adrienne got another surprise…from Justin:

**"Adrienne! Enough! Sonny has every right to be angry with you. And if you insist on treating Sonny like a five year old, by choosing his friends…you should expect Sonny to rebel like a five year old."**

Adrienne saw her husband look at his son with a fair look of reprimand, and so she thought he would come around to her point of view. She was disappointed, as Justin turned his attention back to her:

**"I agree that he should be more respectful Adrienne…but then again…so should you. Sonny is a grown man. He has earned the right to choose with whom he becomes friends …with whom he falls in love. And as for Will…he deserves not to be judged by any actions other than his own…"**

And that is when Adrienne knew that she had lost this battle. She would regroup. She would fight another day, but not today. She scowled as she turned about and left the atrium.

* * *

Justin was extremely proud of Sonny for acknowledging his feelings for Will. He was proud of Will for doing the same, and for telling Sonny that Sonny needed to stay here. Justin could understand why Will would want to go home, aside from being tired, feeling unwanted must also be tough.

Justin simply couldn't understand how Adrienne didn't see how selfless Will was. He put Sonny's and Adrienne's relationship and their happiness before his own. Justin was amazed by this and by the fact that Will didn't lash out against Adrienne. Justin supposed that Will learned not to do that. He could imagine what Sami would be like if she were confronted. Justin thought that Will must have learned that confronting someone just made matters worse. Justin could feel Will's pain when Will turned to him and asked him for a drive home.

Justin should not have been surprised, not really. He knew his wife. He loved her very much. But Adrienne had a blind spot when it came to Sami Brady. She also had one when it came to her son. Adrienne would probably always feel as if she needed to protect Sonny. And Sami Brady will always be the devil in her eyes.

It was her vehemence that surprised Justin. And the fact that she was so blinded she couldn't see the effect her negativity was having on her son. Justin believed that Adrienne was harming Sonny, not saving him. He therefore needed to step up and protect Sonny, and Will, from Sonny's protector.

Justin wasn't at all surprised that Sonny defended Will against his own mother. It was obvious to Justin that Sonny's feelings for Will were very strong. He believed that Will would be just the person for Sonny. He couldn't let Sonny's disrespect for his mother go without some rebuke, but he did understand his son. He knew Adrienne wouldn't stop. He decided to be proactive and stop her onslaught.

When Adrienne turned and left, Justin knew the battle was won but the war was far from over. He would need to smooth things over with her; for himself and on behalf of his son. Justin thought that Adrienne most likely would blame all this on poor Will anyway. He would have to try and defend him without setting her off yet again.

But all that was for later. Justin wanted to make sure that Will was comfortable in staying. If Will wasn't, Justin would drive him home. He didn't want Sonny to put too much pressure on Will to stay, but he knew Will staying would be good for Sonny, as well as set a good precedent in regards to Sonny's and Adrienne's relationship and Will's standing in Sonny's life.

Justin turned to Will and spoke softly to him, noticing that Will's energy was extremely low:

**"Will, if you need to go home I understand…"** Justin looked towards Sonny who, Justin knew, was about to argue and so Justin simply gave Sonny his not-now look, then brought his attention back to Will: **"…but you can lie down here, in the atrium, or even go up to Sonny's room. I think Sonny needs to lie down as well…"**

As he finished that little sentence, Justin smiled. At the mention of Will and Sonny sleeping in the same room together, he could see Sonny's face light up and Will's face redden; it was rather endearing.

Justin smiled even more when he heard Will say, almost stammering: **"I…I…I don't know Mr. Kiriakis…I mean…I am getting a little tired…"**

And when Sonny grabbed Will with his two hands and looked at Will with such love and affection and said **"Will…you're staying…"** Justin had to leave, or his joy at seeing his son express his love to Will would embarrass them all. And so he did. But as he left Justin turned to Will and said: **"Whatever you decide Will, Sonny will know where to find me…Now if you'll excuse me, I have a wife to placate…"**

* * *

When Will heard Sonny use the word boyfriend to describe their relationship he felt amazement and joy. He also felt a strange twinge in his stomach that he decided to interpret, in that moment, as nervous excitement, although it very well could have just been the chemo.

When Sonny started defending him and arguing with his mother, Will felt very guilty. He knew Mrs. Kiriakis didn't like him and he knew why. He also knew that losing his temper and confronting her would just make matters worse. He didn't want to be the reason that Sonny and Adrienne were fighting. He decided to nip that in the bud if he could. But he couldn't stay there.

It was one thing to make sure your boyfriend (Wow…he loved thinking of Sonny that way!) was taken care of and continued to have, at the very least, a working, if not a loving, relationship with his mother. It was quite another thing to subject oneself to constant abuse. Will thought he would do anything for Sonny…but he just didn't have the energy to deal with Mrs. Kiriakis right now…He needed to leave so that he could regain his energy, to be able to be there for Sonny. Although it was a little aggravating that Sonny and he couldn't find time to discuss the little revelations that they both let slip.

Will knew he would upset Sonny when he asked Mr. Kiriakis to take him home. But sometimes one had to look after one's self. He was very glad when Mr. Kiriakis decided to intervene. Will was glad that Mr. Kiriakis was so understanding, although Will wondered why Justin would have such a different attitude towards him than his wife had. Although he didn't have much time to wonder because Justin decided, in his kindness, to make Will extremely embarrassed:

"…**but you can lie down here, in the atrium, or even go up to Sonny's room. I think Sonny needs to lie down as well…"**

When Will heard the part about Sonny's room, his mind went immediately to what he and Sonny could both do…alone…in Sonny's room. These thoughts caused Will to be extremely flustered and he barely got out a response: **"I…I…I don't know Mr. Kiriakis…I mean…I am getting a little tired…"**

Will had noticed Justin's very slight smile at his embarrassment , which caused his face to redden even more. Thank goodness Justin had the good sense to know when to leave. Will now only had to deal with Sonny, who, Will knew, wanted him to stay, in the worst way.

Will decided to he might as well state in front of Mr. Kiriakis that he would stay. That way Mr. Kiriakis wouldn't worry, and would know that he wouldn't need to bother driving Will home. Will didn't get a chance to finish his thought before he felt his arm being pulled, along with his whole body towards the entrance to the main corridor, and interrupting him mid-sentence::

** "All right Sonny I'll stay…but…"**

Will heard Sonny say to his father:** "Dad, we'll be in my room until Will's grandmother arrives…"** and then there was more pressure as he was led along a series of corridors and up several flights of stairs until he reached a room located in the middle of a number of other doors. This house was immense.

Will looked upon a frustrated Sonny, who was having a little trouble opening his door. That sometimes happened when you were in a weakened state. Eventually the door opened and Will was pulled inside. Will felt Sonny's hands on his torso and the door at his back and very soon afterwards Will's lips were enveloped by Sonny's eager and luscious ones.

Will was in heaven. He had wanted to be alone with Sonny for days. He wanted to touch him and feel him in body, like he had been able to do with Sonny's thoughts and even Sonny's soul. Touching and feeling Sonny's body was just another way to know Sonny completely. Will hadn't ever truly wanted to do this with another person ever before. Sure, he had lusty feelings for other guys, but this was completely different. He'd also felt obligated to try and express himself physically with Gabi when they were dating. He was thankful that they had broken things off before he had done something he would have regretted. He always felt in some way that he was using Gabi. He wasn't using Sonny.

When Sonny let Will's lips go for a second, to catch his breath, Will took this opportunity to put a hand on Sonny's chest and push him away slightly; even though he could see Sonny's disappointment all over his beautiful face, he also needed to catch his breath:

**"Sonny…I would love nothing more than to kiss you all day…but I wasn't lying to your father…I am exceedingly tired…and I know that you are too…besides…"**

Will's words were cut short by Sonny's push. Will landed on the bed with Sonny landing on top of him soon after. But this time there was no kiss; instead, Sonny looked deeply into Will's eyes, sighed and said: **"Besides…We need to talk…I know…Will, I meant what I said. I think of you as my boyfriend…you mean more to me than just a friend. Whenever I'm around you or even hear your voice…I find it difficult to concentrate on anything but you…"**

Will was ecstatic to hear what Sonny was saying, since they mirrored his own feelings. He fought very hard not to succumb to his deep desire to start kissing Sonny again. There was one issue that he needed to clear up first. He wasn't sure how to say it. And he hoped that Sonny would not misinterpret it. His eyes bored into Sonny's to try and convey to him the truth of what he was about to say**: **

**"Sonny, I am falling for you…and I want you to know that I believe if I met you under other circumstances…I mean if we both didn't have cancer…and you weren't helping me…I'd feel the same way about you…because you are amazing…I've never felt like this with anyone else before…"**

Will's sentence was interrupted by Sonny, and another penetrating kiss.

* * *

Sonny was frustrated. He had basically dragged Will all the way up to his room. Well, dragged was a strong word, since Will was certainly not resisting. Sonny hoped it wasn't because Will was THAT tired. He wanted…no he NEEDED Will to have at least some energy left. And he hoped Will wasn't so overwhelmed that he wouldn't enjoy what Sonny had in mind. And then the door thing happened.

Sonny grappled with the door. He was trying to preserve his energy. He was getting very tired and he was getting rather nauseous. He would probably have to take some medication very soon. He wasn't going to let this stop him from showing Will how much Will meant to him. With a final tug the door finally opened.

He brought Will into the room and used Will to close the door. He then reached for Will with his hands and with his lips. Will felt amazing. He hoped Will realized that he was doing this, not out of lust, although the lust was certainly there, but as a means to show Will just how much he cared.

When Sonny stopped to breathe because he was getting short of breath, and Will put a hand to Sonny's chest, Sonny's initial thought was that of disappointment, and the thought Will didn't want him. But that thought did not last long. He knew that Will was tired. , But Sonny knew that it wasn't just tiredness that made Will want to slow the kissing session down; looking into Will's beautiful blue-sapphire eyes, Sonny knew that Will needed to say something, and Sonny had a good idea what it was. Sonny explained to Will that Will made him feel alive, very alive. And when Will expressed his feelings about their relationship, his feelings for Sonny, not being about the cancer, Sonny was incredibly happy, almost euphoric. He couldn't help himself. He kissed Will yet again. And when that passionate kiss met its end, Sonny looked at Will and said: **"Babe, I feel the same way."**

Sonny moved to Will's side and placed Will's head on his chest and started stroking his hair. When he heard Will sigh, Sonny asked him what was wrong and Will started to reply by saying** "Sonny…when I lose my hair…" **but Will couldn't finish and simply let the silence finish his thought for him.

Sonny continued stroking and said:** "Will when you lose your hair, you'll still be Will…like I'm still me…you helped teach me that…Now, rest Will. We have some time just to rest…to be together...before your grandmother arrives"**

And eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone that has reviewed and commented on this story do far. It is nice to know that my story and my writing is appreciate and may also help or inspire people, even in just a small way as giving then a smile or a good cry. Again, Thanks.**

* * *

Will was down in the lobby of his grandmother's condominium complex, waiting for Sonny to come pick him up in his car. Sonny of course wasn't driving. One didn't drive if one were undergoing chemo. Quite a few of the medications one took were not conducive to driving well. There were several side-effects that would make it a no-go. Some medications could make you drowsy. Some medications could make you susceptible to road rage. Some medications could make you cramp up in such a serious way that it would make driving ….troublesome (diarrhea and constipation at the same time…it happens…and it feels terrible).

Sonny's Uncle Vic loaned him the use of one of his cars and one of his drivers so that Sonny could go visit Common Grounds. Sonny wanted Will to come along with him. Will hadn't seen Abigail and Chad since last December at Christmas. And that was sort of an issue. Will hadn't come out to either of them, although he suspected Abigail knew because her mother witnessed his coming-out and Abigail must have told Chad. It might still be a little awkward.

While waiting for Sonny to arrive, Will had time to think. He was able to contemplate (and when you are sick and going through some kind of treatment, contemplation is not necessarily a good thing); and Will came up with a brilliant synopsis of his current situation: being sick sucked (and not at all in the good way).

He was tired all the time and nauseous. And his bowels were doing some weird things. He didn't feel like eating but knew he had to. Oh! And his taste buds were going haywire! Things he always liked, like grape juice…tasted awful (almost rancid)! And he couldn't eat seeds or nuts… so trail mix (one of his all-time faves!) was out of the question.

He hadn't lost any of his hair yet; it had only been a few days since his first chemo treatment. He wasn't looking forward to it. Sonny told him that he would help Will deal with it when the time came. Will wondered how he would do it.

When Will started contemplating about Sonny, he started smiling. It was wonderful being held by such a handsome, beautiful, kind and generous person. Waking up by being kissed on the forehead was even better.

Sonny's mother wasn't pleased, at all, when she found Will and Sonny sleeping in the same bed, even though neither one of them had the energy to do anything other than sleep (and they were obviously fully clothed). She simply frowned and with no discernible emotion whatsoever (and for Adrienne that is always a bad sign) she informed Will that his grandmother was there to pick him up. He said goodbye to Sonny by kissing him gently on the lips and left.

Will's reverie was interrupted by a clearing of throat and a familiar sexy voice**: "Hey Will, hope you were dreaming about me…you ready?" **Will looked up at Sonny and smiled.

* * *

Sonny had asked Will if he wanted to come along with him while he visited Common Grounds. Will had told him that he had been friends with Chad and Abigail (Abigail actually being a cousin as well) for years before he had left Salem to go to college. Sonny thought it would give Will an opportunity to come out to some of his friends and have some support, namely some Sonny-support. It was Will that suggested they walk into Common Grounds together hand-in-hand. That way Will thought he wouldn't be able to chicken out; and the idea was that people would see Will and Sonny and assume the obvious so that Will wouldn't have to say much of anything. It didn't quite work out that way, although it kind of did.

Sonny and Will walked into Common Grounds and were immediately spotted by Chad Abigail and a bunch of waiters and baristas. Chad went right to Sonny and hugged him, then realized with Sonny's compromised immune system that hugging might be a bad idea, so he backed away quickly, as he said, rather enthusiastically: **"Bud! So glad you could make it! This means you aren't feeling too bad after your latest chemo! That's great!"**

Chad then noticed Will and put his attention on him, hugging Will and saying: **"Dude! When did you get back?! It's great to see you! How's school?" **And not actually letting Will answer, Chad's attention went back to Sonny as Chad said:

**"Bud! I heard through the grape-vine that you found somebody. You stud! And he's a catch! Good-Looking according to Abigail! When are you going to introduce us to him? We won't bite…"**

And that is when Chad noticed that Will and Sonny were holding hands. Chad's face expressed his surprise. Will was about to sink inward, and Sonny was about to go on the defensive; but just as Sonny was about to say something Chad's face lit up with an enormous smile and he hugged both Sonny and Will and then Will by himself as he said, all smiles:

**"Will. You're looking good, man! Thank God you wised up and decided to be true to yourself! I was beginning to wonder if you ever would. Glad to see you're finally being true to yourself. How did you two meet? It had to be recent and Sonny's been sick…"**

Will was stunned; by the fact that Chad was admitting he suspected that Will was gay; and by how fast Chad accepted him as he was. Will was also a little taken aback by Chad's question about where Sonny and he met.

Will stammered a little and it was Sonny that answered: **"This gorgeous beauty and I met at the hospital Chad…"**

Will was surprised at how quick Chad was. He looked at Sonny, frowned and then looked at Will:** "Please tell me you were visiting someone Will…why would Sonny meet you at the hospital…"**

Will only had to look at Chad with saddened eyes and Chad knew.** "Fuck" **was all he said. He then turned to Abigail who had been enjoying Chad's reaction, at least until then, and said: **"You knew about this didn't you? You knew Will was gay and that he was sick. That's why your Mom was so upset the other day…Why the hell didn't you say anything?"**

And Abigail stepped forward. She went up to Will and hugged him, stepped back and smiled**: "Will…I'm so proud of you…I'm sorry to hear about your cancer…and about how your Mom is reacting…I'm glad you found the courage to come out. Must not have been easy trying to tell two huge things at the same time."**

She turned to Chad and frowned just a little, as a reaction to his accusatory tone: **"Chad...this was Will's story to tell, not mine. I did tell you that he would have something to tell us and that it was big…"**

Chad turned to Abigail: **"I thought you just meant the gay thing…that would have been big…for Will…but him being sick...like Sonny…that's just…"** Chad wasn't sure what to say anymore. He was saddened and shocked that he now had two friends that were sick. He'd ask Abigail if she knew just how sick Will was…but later.

For now, he would go back to his original plan which was to make Sonny feel better, at least emotionally. He now would just have to adjust it so that he includes Will: **"So…back to happier things…You two are together, huh? Well I suppose the two of you…being the dweebs that you both are…deserve each other…"** And the banter continued from there.

* * *

The friendly banter continued. Sonny was grateful that Chad was able to compartmentalize his feelings. Sonny knew that Chad was slightly angry at Abigail for letting him be blindsided. Sonny also saw that Chad was sad and a little worried that Sonny, and now Will, were sick, maybe even dying. But Sonny knew that Chad was good at hiding his emotions, or perhaps the correct term was cushioning his emotions.

Eventually, Sonny noticed Chad realizing that all this banter was exhausting Sonny and Will and so he invited Sonny to the office to go over some of the financials, so that Sonny felt that he was still in the loop. He told Sonny about some management decisions that needed to be made and asked his opinion and then Sonny saw Chad's face change as if he made up his mind about something, then he smiled, turned to Sonny and said:

**"So you and Will Horton, huh. Did Will tell you that we were pretty good friends before he left for Harvard? Until he stopped skyping on a regular basis. Now I know why…"**

Sonny felt the need to say something, perhaps to defend Will, Sonny wasn't sure, but then Chad spoke again:

**"Tell me Sonny, is he in as bad a condition as you? Will he be okay? What kind of cancer does he have?"**

Now, in most circumstances Sonny would have just said to Chad that what he wanted to hear was Will's story and perhaps it should be Will to tell it; but Chad had already heard that from Abigail already, and knowing Chad, it probably wouldn't be the best idea to go that same route, not now; and so Sonny sighed and said:

**"He's worse. His lymphoma has progressed more, and it's slightly more aggressive than mine. But we are undergoing the same type treatment. We both should be okay barring any complications…anything else should come from him."**

Chad nodded and looked at Sonny, smiled and comment: **"You look happy. I'm glad you found somebody, bud. You deserve to be happy. And so does Will. I just wished it weren't under these circumstances."**

Sonny would have expounded on how Will did make him happy and that he was lucky to have found him, but noise from the front made both of them turn their heads towards the door. Sonny saw Chad frown just before Chad got out of his swivel chair and walked towards the door mumbling: **"Sami friggin Brady"**

* * *

Will was sitting with Abigail who was blasting him with questions. They ranged from when did he know he was gay, did he have other relationships, when did he start getting sick and then she asked when he knew he was in love with Sonny. That last question took Will by surprise as did his answer: **"From the second I saw him…"**

Will knew that this sounded corny, but it was true. Then Abigail asked him what he first saw in Sonny that attracted him and his reply: **"What everyone first sees about Sonny?…his beautiful eyes…"**

Both Abigail and Will were concentrating on their conversation (for Abigail it was because she was so interested in what Will was saying that she wasn't paying attention to anything else, and for Will it was because he was lacking in energy at that moment, and needed to focus) they hadn't noticed a particular someone walk in. And Sami Brady was not amused:

**"I can't believe you Will! Have you no family pride? If you have to be gay, do it in private! What will your grandfather Roman say? And shouldn't you be resting? I thought you started chemo. Was it all a ruse?"**

Abigail couldn't believe it. She had heard her mother complaining about her sister Sami. Her mother wasn't all that enthusiastic about Will proclaiming his homosexuality to the world either, but he was family and he was sick and family should stick together. What Sami was doing, and had been doing to Will for quite some time now (mainly disrespecting Will and making him feel unwanted, self-conscious and basically good-for-nothing) was not viewed very well by the rest of the Brady or the Horton clans.

Abigail didn't care that Will was gay. She wanted him to be true to himself and live an authentic life, and be happy. She stood up, faced her aunt and verbally spat at her: **"Aunt Sami…enough! Will is in no condition right now to deal with your melodrama. Leave him alone!"**

Sami looked at her niece, and then at Will, who wasn't looking very healthy, and feeling a little guilty about making his life even harder, lashed out at Abigail:

**"How dare you Abigail! I was talking to my son. This isn't any of your business! How can you sit there and listen to him talk about boys like that? It's embarrassing to the family. It probably was what made him sick in the first place…or he got it from…"**

Abigail was not going to let up. The family has had to deal with Sami's temper and anxieties for a very long time. And so, Abigail did not let her Aunt Sami finish what she had to say; it was hurting Will: **"How dare I? Aunt Sami…Will is your son for God's sake…"**

Abigail noticed that Sami was going to interrupt and headed her off at the pass: **"No Aunt Sami….you need to listen! Your son is gay…but he's a wonderful human being who has a right to find love. If he finds it with another consenting adult male…who cares!? And if you were about to say that he got sick because he's gay…well then…shame on you Aunt Sami!"**

* * *

Sami Brady was speechless, which did not happen very often. First she finds her eldest son, who was supposed to be at home resting, (according to her mother) sitting in a coffee-shop, even though his immune system was becoming compromised, (again according to her mother); and then she hears him talking about a boy, in public, where everyone could hear him.

Sami Brady loved her son. She never did understand him though. He was far too bright. He was too helpful sometimes (although she did take advantage of his sense of responsibility when it suited her). As he got older he tended to be a lot more belligerent and he judged her. Not only that, but he called her out on things, although not usually in public (still, she was the parent, not him). She wanted him to do things her way. Something he always refused to do. And that infuriated her; especially when his way usually turned out to be the better way.

And so, seeing him talking to his cousin Abigail made Sami mad (mostly because he refused to talk to her about anything). And when she vocalized her frustration, Abigail started in on her. What was it with this generation? Had they no respect?

Sami had to do something to save face and so she started in on Abigail. She was shocked when Abigail talked back to her and was being far too honest. Sami was also afraid that Abigail was also right. Sami didn't understand why Will was sick or why he was gay. She had said those things to lash out. She lashed out when she was on the defensive. She knew other people would judge her because her son was gay. And maybe it was her fault. But he should just stop being that way. It would be better for her if he just hid it. Didn't he know that? He probably did and just didn't care.

She was about to get into again with Abigail when she heard another voice. It was Chad Demira: **"Mrs. Brady…please stop shouting you are disturbing our customers. If you continue I will have to ask you…"**

Sami then heard another voice, who was interrupting Chad. It was Sonny Kiriakis: **"…to step into the office. Mrs. Brady…"**

Sami was confused. Step into the office? What for? So she could be reprimanded by a bunch of kids? She once again stepped onto her high horse and decided to lay into Sonny: **"Who the hell do you think you are to…" **

She didn't get a chance to continue. Sonny Kiriakis interrupted her by stating: **"I'm Sonny Kiriakis, Mrs. Brady. I'm your son's boyfriend. Please step into my office…"**


	10. Chapter 10

Will was a little shocked and somewhat happy (and a little embarrassed) about letting Abigail defend him like that. He did like what she had to say, but he was afraid how his mother would react. He knew deep down that she loved him. He also knew that she was rather selfish. And she was alone. After Lucas, then EJ and now Rafe had left her, because Sami had a tendency to follow her…libido…Will knew that Sami was a little bitter about life.

To her, everything was about her. His being gay (and his cancer as well) must therefore have something to do with her . And she didn't like being looked down upon (not even by God himself). When that happened she lashed out. She was very good at lashing out. But Will knew that she loved him. And he loved her. She was his mother after all. But he had grown to mistrust her. Her whims had cost him. He never felt like he belonged anywhere; at least not until Sonny came into his life. He couldn't let her take Sonny away from him, like she had managed to take away almost everything else that Will loved, or was starting to love. He was starting to think that perhaps letting those others that cared for him do some of his fighting for him was a good strategy with his mother, because nothing else seemed to have worked; but this strategy was hard for him. He didn't like seeing other people being abused or hurt because of him.

Will could see that Abigail was straining to keep her emotions in check. Will was about to try to intervene when he noticed Chad and Sonny coming out of the office. Chad didn't look very happy. It seemed as if he was about to ask Sami to leave but then Sonny interjected and Will was surprised yet again.

When Sami started into Sonny, shouting, **"Who the hell do you think you are to…"** Will was surprised when Sonny interrupted her and said:** "I'm Sonny Kiriakis, Mrs. Brady. I'm your son's boyfriend. Please step into my office…"**

Will was even more surprised when Sami simply said **"Fine"** and brought her arm up to indicate for Sonny and Chad to lead the way. Sonny motioned for Will to follow him. He grabbed Abigail's hand as he stood up and dragged her with him.

* * *

Chad was astounded to hear Sonny say that he wanted to speak to Will's mom in the office (not to mention he announced himself to her as her son's boyfriend). He had always liked Sonny. Sonny was almost like a brother to him, very much like Will used to be (and he hoped would be again) before Will left for college.

Chad was very aware that the medications and treatment Sonny was on could cause him to act rather erratic sometimes (and Chad suspected that Will would probably start acting a little weird every once in a while as well). And Chad was also aware that Sonny would get tired very easily.

He made a conscious decision to step in and take over the conversation if he felt Sonny was going to become too emotional and angry (and he also decided that he would do the same for Will, but he suspected that Will wouldn't be an issue yet, if he Sonny's experience was any indication). Chad didn't have a lot of experience dealing with Sami Brady, but he had enough to know that she could lay into someone and not know when to stop.

Chad saw Sonny sit down behind his desk and ask Sami Brady to sit. At this point Sonny had taken Will's hand as Will walked in the office, and walked Will to the back of the desk, Abigail and Chad stayed back, near the door. Abigail closed the door.

Chad was wondering how Sonny was going to handle Will's mom. He should have guessed that Sonny would have been direct: **"Mrs. Brady…do you love your son?"**

Chad could see that Sami Brady was taken aback by this direct question. Chad didn't think Mrs. Brady would ever have thought anyone would ask her such a personal question. She sat back in her chair, a rather worrisome look coming across her face:

**"Of course I love my son. What kind of question is that?! He knows that**!" Sami looked at Will directly and asked him** "You know I love you Will…don't you?"**

Chad could see that Will was about to answer, but Sonny simply grabbed Will's arm and brought Will's body closer to his and simultaneously said to Sami: **"Well you have a funny way of showing it."**

Chad could see that Sami Brady was not amused by Sonny. She was leaning forward, her jaw was tight and her body language was very hostile. She was about to say something but Sonny beat her to it:

**"I'm sorry Mrs. Brady that was cruel. I know you love him. You love him so much you want to protect him from everyone including himself…am I right?"**

Chad could see that what Sonny had said hit a nerve because Sami Brady looked at Will and then started to cry. She then turned to Will and said:** "Will…I know you didn't have the best childhood. I know I've been hard on you. I just wanted you to have a better life than I did. I wanted you to have a good life. And when things happen to you, I can't help but blame myself…"**

Chad saw Sonny tighten his grip on Willl's waist and look up towards Will with expectant eyes. Will acknowledged the look, smiled at Sonny, turned his attention towards his mother and said:** "Mom…You didn't make me gay…You know that right? And some things you've done I disagreed with. And if I'm honest with you, Mom, I think you can be a little…self-centred…But I do love you Mom…You're my Mom…"**

* * *

Sonny was a little nervous. When he invited Will's mother into his office (well embarrassed her into it really), he had a good idea what he was going to say; he just wasn't sure exactly how he was going to say it.

Sonny knew (through his many conversations he'd had with Will, some late at night) that despite everything that has happened between Will and his mother, Will still loved her. Will knew that Sami Brady was selfish and that things that happened to others were always analysed, by her, in terms of how these things affected her. It was just who she was. But in the end Sonny suspected that Sami Brady and his mother, Adrienne Kiriakis, were very much alike (and probably the main reason they despised each other). Both Sami and Adrienne loved their sons very much and would do anything to protect them. Sami just seemed to have different tactics than Adrienne. Sonny wondered what his mother would do, if (like Sami thought about Will) his mother thought that she had to protect Sonny from himself. He wasn't sure anymore(and he really did not want to ever find out).

This meeting was more for Will than it was to put Sami Brady in her place. Sonny wanted Will to know how much he cared for Will. He wanted Will to realized that he wasn't alone; and that (Sonny hoped) Sami Brady wasn't as mean as Will thought (and everyone else thought for that matter). And so, with that in mind, he decided to be direct and ask a question he was sure that Will truly wanted to know the answer to. He grabbed Will and pulled him close,as he asked: **"Mrs. Brady…do you love your son?"**

Sonny could see Sami Brady's demeanour change. She was still on the defensive but Sonny could tell that she was surprised at that question; she was surprised that anyone including her own son would think that she didn't love him. She wanted Will to know this; and so Sami told her son, in an indirect way, that she did love him.

Sonny, again because of his talks with Will, decided to say to her something that he knew Will wanted to say, but would never say (Sonny thought Will could sometimes be a little too nice for his own good): "** "Well you have a funny way of showing it."**

Sonny knew that he probably shouldn't have said that in quite that way. So he apologized. And he decided to try and steer her in the direction he was sure she wanted to go and also he was sure Will needed to hear.

And sure enough Sami took the bait. Sonny looked into Will's eyes, and with a compassionate look told Will that he should and could say something; and Will did. Sonny tried very hard to keep from tearing as Will could finally express that his being gay wasn't his mother's fault; that he disagreed with things she'd done but he still loved her.

Sonny then heard Will go on and explain a little more (as he expected that Will would do):

** "Mom I've been attracted to boys for a very long time. I didn't want to be. But I was, and I am. I tried to be the good son. I've tried to be who I thought everyone expected me to be. But I can't do that anymore. I want to be happy Mom. I need to be true to who I am…"**

But even Sonny was surprised at what Will said next:

**"…and Sonny makes me happy Mom. I have never been happier in all my life. Even with this cancer and chemo that I have to go through… If it weren't for cancer I may never have found him Mom…and I love him…more than anything in the world…can't you be happy for me? Please? Just this once, be happy for me…"**

Sonny looked at Mrs. Brady who started to cry. She got up off her chair and went to the back of the desk and hugged Will with all her might. Sonny was extremely surprised at just how fast Mrs. Sami Brady could turn from a total jerk to the most loving mother imaginable. She released her son from that death grip, especially after she realized that holding him that tight was probably hurting him, since he wasn't in the best of shape at the moment.

She then looked her son in the eyes and said:** "Will, I'm so sorry. You are absolutely right. You need to the authentic. And if you've found love, I'm happy for you. I just hope you found the right person…are you sure?"**

Sonny saw Will simply smile a gigantic and beautiful smile and simply nodded. This made Sonny declare something of his own:

**"Mrs. Brady. I know I've only known your son a short while…but in the time that I have known him he has shown great courage, and gentleness, perseverance and kindness. He is beautiful inside and out Mrs. Brady, and I'm sure you must have had something to do with it. I love your son Mrs. Brady and he loves me. It was love at first sight for the both of us. He found love Mrs. Brady, I hope you can be happy for him"**

Sonny saw Will immediately turn towards Chad and Abigail, his face turning scarlet. Sonny knew that Will was embarrassed that he hadn't realized that Abigail and Chad were still in the room. Sonny also knew that Will wasn't embarrassed about what he or Sonny had said; just that this should have been a more private matter.

Sonny then stood up and pulled Will towards him and whispered in his ear before he laid his lips on Will's: **"Thank you for saying what you said Will…and in front of other people. I know that it was hard for you."**

After the kiss Will look into Sonny's eyes, bent to his ear and whispered in his turn: **"I meant every word. Thank you…too." **And Will bent his lips towards Sonny and kissed him.

When Will released Sonny, they both looked towards three people who had very wide smiles on their faces. Chad went to both Will and Sonny and bro-punched them, then walked out of the office. Abigail hugged each one in turn and she also walked out of the office.

Sami Brady hugged her son and then Sonny. She then invited both of them to dinner. Will simply smiled an awkward smile, looked towards Sonny hoping he would find an excuse, but looked disappointed when Sonny said they would be delighted.

* * *

Will was very tired. It was now late afternoon. He was fiddling with the key in the lock, making him feel rather foolish and it got him thinking how Sonny must have felt the first time Sonny brought Will to his room. But Will eventually was able to open the door and he led Sonny, by the hand into his bedroom.

Will closed the door and it was now Sonny who pulled Will onto the bed. As Will fell on top of Sonny, and Sonny wrapped his arms around him, Will smiled and stretched out an arm. This stopped Sonny from being able to grab Will, pull him down and kiss him hard on the lips; it also caused Sonny to frown, in disappointment and slight frustration.

Will just smiled: **"Sonny, I need to say something first. Is that okay?" **Sonny nodded, reluctantly; and Will continued: **"I want to apologize. I should have kept what I said for just the two of us; but my mother needed to hear how I felt about you…I hope you aren't mad…"**

Sonny looked astonished:** "Will…of course I'm not mad! What you said…it came from your heart…and it made me so happy! It was the perfect thing to say and the perfect moment to say it…and I meant what I said too…"**

Will bent down and whispered **"I know.."**into Sonny ear before he nibbled on it. He then kissed Sonny until both were breathless. Will then laid onto his side and put his head on Sonny's chest. As they both drifted off the sleep, for a much-needed rest, all Will could think was: _"I hope we can make a habit of this…and maybe someday with fewer pieces of clothing…"_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone for your patience. It took me a while to get back to this story. Life got in the way. This chapter was one of the hardest things I've had to write. Only those who have gone through something like this know what losing your hair can do to you. I tried very hard to be genuine about the experience and I hope I did it justice. Thank you all for your reviews and comments so far. it means a lot.**

* * *

Sonny sat down next to Will on the couch in Marlena's living room. He had just arrived. It was early afternoon. Both he and Will had taken a nap from earlier in the morning till lunch time (in their respective homes of course). As was now their routine, they had stayed up most of the night talking to each other; they both started playing interactive internet games. These games took both their minds off the pain and aches and allowed them both to interact with other people, although it was virtual. They also enjoyed being on the same team and found that they played very well together. Sonny was more strategic and Will tended to be very good at making decisions on the fly.

For the last three weeks, Sonny and Will continued their fight against their respective cancers. They both had another chemo session. The nurses smiled as the two young men played cards. Their beds were placed closer together than normal to allow them to hold each other and when they both got tired they simply held hands.

Sonny went to his catscan appointment and during his doctor visit, just before his chemo treatment. He received some good news. His cancer had ceased to spread. It was in fact diminishing, although not as rapidly as his doctor would like.

Will visited his mother and his siblings a few times. Tensions were much diminished since Will confronted his mother. Sami asked a lot of questions about Will and his relationship with Sonny. She also asked about her son's feelings. She wanted to understand him. Some of the questions were based on ignorance. She acknowledged that. She simply wanted to get to know her son, all of who he was. Sami always invited Sonny along with Will, but Will decided that he needed to have a few visits alone with his mother and siblings before suspecting Sonny to the Horton-Brady havoc.

For the most part, Sonny and Will took turns going to each other's homes, on day trips. Sonny would visit Will at Marlena's and Will would get driven to the Kiriakis mansion. Adrienne of course made herself scarce. She did not want to greet or acknowledge Will's presence in her home. Will very seldom ate dinner with the Kiriakis' and when he did, Sonny and Will would eat alone in Sonny's room.

When Sonny visited Will at Marlena's they both seemed to be more relaxed, as was the case on this latest visit. Sonny had been buzzed in and he walked to the couch. Will was there, laying down, with his knees bent, a light comforter sprawl around him. Sonny notices that Will was still sleeping, and wondered who buzzed him in.

He sat near Will's knees, bent down to give Will a peck on his cheek. Will stirred and smiled, reached up and placed his hand on Sonny's bandanna covered head; lifted himself up and planted his lips firmly on Sonny's. Sonny reluctantly backed away from the kiss and asked: **"Will, babe, who buzzed me in?"** Will smiled and said: **"I think it was my grandmother, at least that is what she said she was going to do."** When Sonny looked around Will continued: **"Sonny…she said she was leaving for the office. We are…alone."**

Sonny nodded his head and swoop towards, seeking Will's luscious lips with his own. He instinctively grabbed at Will's hair and then froze. Somehow, Sonny realized that he did something wrong; well not exactly wrong, but something that most likely would ruin this beautiful moment. He looked towards his hand and abruptly ended the kiss. Will was surprised and a little concerned: **"Sonny…what's wrong? Did I do something wrong? Are you feeling okay?"**

Sonny frowned, slightly. He knew this day would come; he just didn't want to be the cause of this particular grief. He lowered his hand so that Will could see it. In Sonny's fists, intertwined in his fingers, was a large clump of blond hair.

Will's face went blank. Then Sonny saw tears forming. Then Will shook his head, and his expression went neutral again. He reached for Sonny's hand and gently pried the hairs from Sonny's grip, brought them close to his face so he could get a good look at it and then let out a simple: **"Well, this sucks…"**

Sonny took Will's face in one hand and gently brought Will's face up so that both young men were looking in each other's eyes. Sonny's face went warm, he tried to smile, to let Will know that he was here for him: **"Babe, it's okay to be upset." **Will looked into Sonny's beautiful eyes, and saw the love and concern that Sonny was feeling. He needed to ask a question and he did:** "Were you upset?" **Sonny did not hesitate to answer, as he swiftly took off his bandanna:** "Of course I was. Seeing your hair fall out, it makes things more real…It makes you feel ugly…and different …and sick…" **Without hesitation and surprising even himself, Will answered, while placing his hands on Sonny's head and rubbing his fingers on Sonny's scalp:** "But Sonny…you're the most beautiful person I know…even sick you're beautiful…the rest of us…"**

Sonny couldn't help but smile, because he knew that what Will had said was spontaneous and genuine. He relaxed his smile and continued to look at Will with compassion and even a little bit of lust: **"Will, with or without hair…sick or not…you will always be gorgeous…You don't have to be afraid…I will help you through this…"**

After a long moment Sonny got up off the couch and dialed a number on his phone. He spoke circumspectly: **"Hey there. You know what we talked about? Yeah…He's ready. Can you do it now? Good" **and then ended the call. He then called for his driver to come and pick him up. He walked back to the couch and held out his hand and said: **"Will…are you ready to go for a ride?"** Will nodded.

* * *

When the car stopped in front of a shop just off Horton Town Square, Will was still wondering what Sonny had in store for him; and then Will noticed the sign that said "Liu's Styling". From then on Will had a pretty good idea what was coming. He let Sonny guide him into the shop. Standing at a hairstylist's chair was a rather tiny woman who Sonny introduced as Amy Liu. She respectfully bowed towards Will, welcomed him and gestured for him to sit in the chair:

**"So, Sonny tells me that you are in need of a shave. He gave me the honour of helping him after his second chemo treatment. He said that he wanted to regain control of his situation. He would lose his hair on his own terms. If you wish, I will help you do the same."**

Will had kept it together until then. But Amy Liu's offer was so sweet, so compassionate that he just couldn't keep his emotions in anymore. He let the tears flow. He finally spoke, almost a whisper:

**"Thank you so much for this Amy…" **He then gestured for Sonny to come closer. When Sonny stepped forward, Will grabbed Sonny's hand, pulled him closer and laid his lips on Sonny's: **"I love you Sonny" **Sonny smiled and said:** "And I love you."**

Sonny was watching Will; looking into Will's beautiful eyes. He liked what he saw in those eyes. He was extremely happy that Will had the attitude that he had; it was a fighter's attitude, and Will would need to fight. A fighting Will meant that Will was more likely to survive his battle with cancer; and that gave Sonny a huge incentive to fight his own battle. Even though he had only met Will such a short time ago, he was very sure now that Will would be the one; the happily-ever-after; his soul-mate. Sonny gave Will a smile, another peck on Will's cheek and he stepped back.

Amy waited until Sonny stepped back, and then she got to work. She threw the barber's apron over Will's body and prepared her tools, which included an electric shearer. Before she started on Will's hair she turned the chair so that Will wouldn't be able to see. Will frowned, but his head in his hands and said: **"Amy…I want to see you do it, while you are doing it. I don't want to be surprised at the result. If this is about control…I need to see it. I wish I could do it myself…"**

When he looked up Will saw both Sonny and Amy smiling. He cocked his head questioningly. Amy turned his chair around do that once again Will was looking at himself in the mirror. She then cocked her head towards Sonny and said: **" You were right Sonny, in this, he is very much like you."** She turned her attention back towards Will: **"Will…How about we compromise. You can grip the shearer, and I will help guide you. That is what I did with Sonny. Would that be okay?"**

Will agreed and that is exactly what Amy did; as Will looked at himself and at Amy (and with an occasional glance at Sonny) he felt his hand being guided and saw his blond locks falling gracefully to the floor. He had thought that he would feel sad or overly emotional; instead, he felt calm and collected, and in control. He wasn't going to let the disease or the treatment beat him. With Sonny and Amy's help, Will was in control of when his hair fell out. He didn't have many things in his life that he could control; this was one of them, and it felt really good.

But then of course, even though Will had watched his hair fall and his scalp being exposed, all throughout this process, reality hit him. He brought a hand to what was now a rather smooth scalp. His expression wandered from determination and resolve to apprehension and bewilderment. Sonny could see Will's changing expressions. He was expecting them. Losing one's hair, even if it were planned, was emotionally and psychologically tiring, even damaging. One's sense of self is drastically and rapidly changed. Even if one knew it was coming; even if one were responsible for the change, it could wreak havoc with one's sense of self. Sonny crouched down so that they were once again eye to eye and took off his bandanna once again. He allowed Will to look and him intensely for a moment and then said in a whisper: **"Babe, you did great…I know this is difficult. I know first-hand what you are felling. You will always be beautiful Will, and your hair will grow back. In the meantime…"**

Sonny let his eye contact with Will end of the moment and he walked to a little bag that was left on the floor. He then brought the contents of that bag to Will and presented his gifts. They were bandannas of various colours. There was a pride one identical to the one Sonny liked to wear; a blue one, a white one with little red hearts and a little blue one with little yellow smiley-faces. Will laughed. He chose the white one with little red hearts and Sonny helped him put it on. Sonny then changed his own bandanna to a white one with little red hearts. They both looked at one other in the mirror.

Will stood up off the chair and went to Sonny. Their lips collided in a tender and long lasting kiss. Then they realized that others had walked into the shop and that Amy was standing there smiling at them. Will walked up to Amy and hugged her: "Thank You so much for this. How much do I owe you?" Amy smirked as she replied: **"Just get better Will and take care of Sonny. You two take care of each other and that is payment enough for me…"**

Smiling, and with fingers intertwined, Sonny and Will walked out of the shop, towards the waiting car that would take them back to Marlena's apartment, where they would cuddle and rest, and try to eat something, in order to get their energy up so they can both continue to fight for yet another day…together.


End file.
